Pirates of the Caribbean: Cursed Souls
by Seiko
Summary: To escape her family Brianna disguises herself as a boy and runs away. But what happens when she crosses paths with Captain Jack Sparrow?
1. Escape

Disclaimer: I love Pirates of the Caribbean but I don't own it therefore no money is being made with this story :P

A/N: The lines of zeros represent breaks in the story.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Cursed Souls

The soft breeze shifted in the fading light of dusk as Brianna swung back and forth slowly on the old wooden swing tied to an elm in the middle of a garden. She absentmindedly twirled one golden lock around her finger as her eyes absorbed the words in the book held by her other hand. The cover was worn and faded with age and the tale itself having been read a million times over by Brianna that she knew almost every verse and every line by memory.

Her father had given the precious book to her for her tenth birthday right before he had died. They had read the story together each night before bedtime, one of the fondest memories Brianna could remember before that awful night when her papa had been returning home from the counting house when suddenly he had been struck by a wayward coach and killed instantly. Brianna's life had changed that night, as if having been sucked up into a whirlwind. Her mother had wasted no time in remarrying Brianna's stepfather and moving them all away from her old home to reside on the island of Mai' Mai'.

With the money obtained from her old husband's will and the enormous amounts held by Count Vandoon, her stepfather, her mother had bought them the most exorbitant home they could find in the town of Port Charles; a royal military establishment of some of the Crown's most trusted soldiers and governors. Brianna had faded into the background as her parent was caught up in balls and parties, outings with rich friends and long evenings with the Count. It wouldn't be long before her mother and stepfather would be getting rid of her, since she was approaching her thirteenth birthday and would be the right age to be married off to some lord.

Brianna sighed and flicked the piece of hair over her shoulder and smoothed the cream ruffles of her gown. She didn't want to be married or tied down to some stuffy, over plump, boring, old geezer. Instead she wanted to be like the woman in her book, a mysterious and captivating beauty who had been taken by pirates to only fall in love with the Captain of the vessel and to have his love in return. Her papa had been right on the money when he had bought her this tale of romance and dashing men and adventure. She had always been a romantic at heart, with a mind full of fantasy to boot.

"Mistress Brianna!" called a voice from the garden archway. She turned to see one of the older maids waiting for her with a worried look on her face. Brianna quickly shut her book, making sure to mark her place with a slip of paper before jumping off the swing and following the maid into the manor house. It wasn't wise to keep her mother or the Count waiting, which she had quickly learned on the end of a willow switch.

The maid told her to wait outside of her stepfather's study and her curiosity was perked. She was silently hoping that what was about to happen was a good thing, but the strain on the maid's face and the way she kept wringing her hands only brought dread to Brianna's stomach. She slipped the book carefully into the concealing folds of her dress and clasped her hands at the small of her back, chin up and shoulders squared like a proper young lady awaiting an order.

She didn't have to wait long.

The study door opened and Brianna was ushered into the green velvet room that her stepfather spent most of his time in; besides the bedroom of course with her mother…

Count Vandoon smiled as he saw her enter and motioned for the maid to leave them. On one side of the room Brianna saw an older gentleman, with a round belly of a pig on him, sitting on one of the sofas sipping hot tea. His face was red and sweaty in the heat of the summer and what little hair he had on his head was covered by the stark whiteness of his wig. Loose bits of white powder had once been applied to his face, as was the custom with all gentlemen, but now had been wiped off by the handkerchief hanging out of his jacket pocket and Brianna could tell that he used rouge on his lips…unless of course he had just been sucking on a few cherries…

"Ah Brianna, right on time," her stepfather said with an odd cheer to his voice. He was never happy with her unless she was out of his sight. The small hairs on the back of her neck prickled with wariness however she managed a smile and appeared to be all bright and happy, putting on a good impression for the visitor and to escape any wrath from the Count.

"Brianna, I have some wonderful news to tell you. It seems that Mr. Farthworth here has asked for your hand in marriage," Vandoon said, straight and to the point.

The smile must have died on her face upon hearing those words for suddenly there was a certain darkness passing over her stepfather's eyes. Brianna coughed and quickly composed herself, turning to the gentleman with an even bigger and faker smile plastered to her small face.

"Marriage?..." she squeaked. "How wonderful."

Mr. Farthworth stood up, his knees creaking under the weight of his bulging middle. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Brianna," he muttered through puffy lips. "You look like you will provide me with good strong sons," he added.

Brianna bit back vile at the thought of conceiving anything from the man before her.

"Yes milord," she lied before turning back to her stepfather. "When is the date for the marriage?"

"Two fortnights from now."

Brianna blanched. That left little or no time to wiggle her way out of this engagement, and hell be damned if she was going to marry this slob! She had to do something and soon…

"The arrangements are being prepared as we speak. All you have to do is show up on that day," Vandoon said, shuffling some papers around on his desk.

"What does mother think about this marriage?" she asked cautiously, wondering if her mama was for or against the idea.

"She is quite thrilled I assure you."

"Oh. Well then I best be off, I need to um…powder my nose a bit before dinner," she lied and quickly curtsied. Her stepfather nodded, already having forgotten all about her. She scurried over to the doorway and slipped through but not before she saw the hungry look on Mr. Farthworth's face as his gaze traveled down her slender and still undeveloped young frame. Her stomach flipped inside her again and she bolted up to her bedroom where she promptly threw up into a basin.

She felt tears begin to form but bit them back willing herself to be strong. She could not, would not, be married! But to tell the count that would only bring his anger down on her. She had once denied him and had spent the rest of the week lying on her stomach while the lashes that crisscrossed her back and buttocks healed. The bruises did not fade for months.

She had to escape and right away before her stepfather got wise to her true feelings and locked her up until the wedding date. Brianna knew that the island would not hide her so the most logical choice was to get off it and begin anew somewhere else. Passage on ships cost money and lone women, much less lone girls, were forbidden. Only ladies accompanied by a man were allowed to sail therefore she had to sneak onboard a ship and remain hidden until it reached a port. The price of getting caught was extremely high. Most stowaways were thrown overboard as soon as someone found them. Girls or boys, it didn't matter in the least.

Her blond hair fell over her fan wan waves as she thought. She looked at her locks for a moment before running over to the mirror to stare at her reflection.

Girls weren't allowed on ships…boys on the other hand…

Brianna wasn't beautiful, at least not in her eyes. Her skin wasn't pale enough, her eyes too big, and her frame too thin and gangly. Overall she looked slightly washed out and besides the long hair, could possibly pass as a boy; a slightly girlish boy, but a boy nonetheless.

She picked up her silver scissors from the beauty table and began hacking away at her long hair. She cut and cut until it stuck up at all angles just off the top of her head. Next she noticed that her eyelashes were too long and cut them shorter just to be sure.

Brianna quickly dropped the scissors and threw open her closet door. She pulled out an oversized sleeping shirt and some trousers that she used when riding horses and tossed her gown aside and dressed in the new clothing. She got a plain pair of shoes from her chest and took off any jewelry before smearing some soot on her cheeks from the fireplace. Brianna took another look in the mirror and gasped. It was if she had transformed right before her eyes to look exactly like a young lad.

_It worked!_

Knowing that she wouldn't have much time left before someone came up to get her for dinner, she packed a cloth with another shirt and a coin purse and threw it over her shoulder. Her stomach grumbled but she was too anxious to notice.

It was a stealthy escape from the manor as Brianna slipped down a sheet through the window. She landed quietly in the bushes below and ran as fast as she could down the road to the town, making sure to keep in the shadows. She made it to the docks without anyone taking notice in her and hid below the planks to catch her breath. There weren't many ships at port and her chances of getting aboard one were growing slimmer. No captains could be seen lounging about on the docks, it was dinnertime and most would be in the taverns filling their bellies.

Brianna sat down in a huff and hugged her knees to her chest. There was no turning back now; she would be killed for making herself like this and running away. What was she to do?

An odd sound came to her ears just then. Weird thumps and puffs that she couldn't quite distinguish. Brianna lifted her head to gaze out over the water when suddenly huge explosions rocked the town, crumbling buildings and sending the people into panic. She leapt to her feet as she spotted the attacker.

Pirates.

The ship had slipped into the bay so quietly and quickly that no one had noticed the odd black sails and the skull crossed flag until it was too late. The ground shook under the cannons and she could see that the pirate ship was aiming for the military post and ships, its only threat from this town.

Wait…that could be her way out of here!

The pirate ship was turned away from where she stood and already she could see longboats being lowered for the crew to head into the town to plunder and rape. It was the perfect chance to try and get aboard while everyone was preoccupied.

Brianna judged the distance to the ship to be about thirty yards, very close to the town in fact, and knew she could swim it for she had traveled greater distances in the ocean water when racing her father back when he was alive. She took off her shoes and laced them together and strung them over her neck to dangle at her chest and made sure her pack was tied tightly to her belt before sneaking into the water.

The night water was a bit chilly but after a few minutes of swimming she felt her body grow accustomed to it. She kept her head as low in the water as possible as the distance between her and the ship got smaller and smaller.

Pirates waited onboard for their allies to return but their attention was directed towards the town and not to the tiny girl coming up from behind them. A few ropes swung just above the water and Brianna grasped hold of one and pulled herself out of the ocean. Twenty or so minutes had passed and time was running out. Soon the pirates would return and discover her. She had to hide somewhere.

Brianna rolled onto the first deck and quickly ducked behind a barrel. None of the pirates had spotted her and she slipped down a stairway in what she hoped was a way to a store room making sure to not leave a trail of seawater behind her. Her bare feet made no sound against the wooden planks and she finally found a perfect spot to hide. It was a wedge of space behind some large crates in the back of what appeared to be a room that wasn't used very much and there Brianna sank to the floor. She didn't care about the dangers of being aboard a pirate ship, nor did she care about what would happen if she was found. She was away from her hated stepfather and mother and away from that forsaken marriage arrangement.

At the moment; she was safe.

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A/N: So how do you guys like it so far? I know I know, no Jack Sparrow yet but don't worry; the next chapter will have lots of him! Uh oh… will Brianna be caught by the pirates? Will she manage to really get away from that marriage? Keep on reading to find out and as always please review! (It's a writer's caffeine I swear…)


	2. Captain Jack Sparrow

Disclaimer: Wished I owned Captain Jack Sparrow…sigh…

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I'm always glad to see that people are enjoying my stories and it gives me incentive to write more.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Cursed Souls

"Heave to ye scurvy dogs! Let's get this ship underway!"

Men swarmed onto the main deck of the Black Pearl as their orders were called out from the helm. The sails billowed in the wind as the port anchor was drawn up and the ship turned about to head out into open waters away from the town of Port Charles. Some of the pirates scaled the netting of the masts to secure the rigging while others grabbed hold of the loot that they had taken from the town and loaded it into the holding bay below deck. Their actions were swift and sure, having been done a hundred times before and soon the island of Mai' Mai' was but a speck in the distance.

They had managed to sneak in, plunder, and get back out in just under an hour without any resistance at all. The cannons had stuck true and had toppled the towers of the fort, rendering the military defense helpless for the time being. The townspeople had put up no fight at all but had scurried about trying to hide from the pirates as they leapt from their longboats onto the shore and invaded the quiet homes, taverns, and businesses with loud cries and shots from their pistols.

Now, with their ship full of gold, silver, and doubloons, the crew had nothing more to do than relax after their evening's fun. No threat was following them, no wind on the horizon calling for a summer storm, and the cargo hold full of good meat, cheese, and of course rum, ready for a feast to celebrate their success.

Watching over his men from above, with his boots planted firmly on the deck in front of the ship's wheel, stood Captain Jack Sparrow.

He was decked out in full pirate regalia. A black belt was slung low on his hips over the cloth of his knee length waistcoat, holding a black pistol, coin purse, compass, and scabbard in which was placed the cold steel of a short sword. A worn hat adorned his head and beads were threaded into his black hair along with a few coins of copper. A short goatee graced his face and gemmed rings sat upon his fingers which at the moment lovingly stroked the wood of the ship's helm.

_Aye lovely, we did it again_, he thought with a grin, showing off a single gold tooth. _Nothin' can withstand an attack from the Black Pearl that's for sure._

"Barbossa!" Jack called out to his first mate who stood on the deck below giving some orders to a few of the crew. The older pirate turned upon hearing his captain's yell.

"Aye Cap'n?"

"Take the wheel for a bit. I feel the need to quench some thirst."

"Aye sir."

Jack grinned again as he leapt over the railing to the main deck and ducked into the small corridor which led to his quarters. There was nothing like a bit of rum after pillaging and no better rum could be found than in the cabinet in his room.

He sighed happily as he closed the door and tossed his hat carefully onto a table before taking a key from his belt and opening the lock to retrieve his beloved drink. He didn't trust his crew not to take it on him therefore he hadn't kept it below with the rest of the food. It was worth too much to be squandered on a bunch of heathen dogs such as the lot of them, save for perhaps his first mate.

The cork popped and hit the floor with a thud before rolling under his bed to be forgotten and Jack lifted the bottle to his lips chugging down almost half the liquid before coming up for air. The alcohol hit him like a well missed woman and he savored the heat which started in his stomach to work its way out to the very tips of his fingers. He flopped down on a cushioned bench next to a small window with his rum and gazed out across the sea.

His life, as far as he could tell at the moment in his slightly drunken stupor, was going great. He had his beloved Pearl, a worthy seagoing crew, riches coming out of the arse, and enough lovely lady friends to keep him occupied when at port in Tortuga.

His lips curled up as he thought of his latest conquest, a wonderfully charming belle of a woman with an ample boson and soft buttocks just aching to be held in a man's hands. She had been a fairly well educated lass, from some upper crust family in the Caribbean, who had unknowingly picked one of the most rambunctious, loudest, seediest villages possibly imagined for an outing one night with her also very lovely lady friends. It hadn't taken Jack long to spot the woman across the bar from him and it had taken even less time for him to saunter up to her and flash her his famous grin that made ladies weak in the knees.

She had beaten her fan widely against the supple curve of her breast as her cheeks turned dark red at his approach. To be caught flirting with a pirate was scandalous to such young ladies and it was clear that she was mightily enjoying it. Jack's gaze had traveled down her slender neck to feast on the bared skin where her fan waved.

"Hello there darlin'," he had said to her. "What might a lovely lass such as ye'self be doin' in such a place like this? Lookin' for some company perhaps?"

The girl gasped with lady shock and hid her face partly behind the feathered fan. "Oh my. Are you…would you be a pirate sir?"

"Aye luv that I am. Captain Jack Sparrow at your service," he answered with a flourished bow. "The greatest pirate in _all_ the Caribbean."

"Oh my," she repeated. "Are you dangerous?"

He arched one eyebrow and slid up close to her, one arm wrapping around her bare shoulders.

"Very," he said in a husky voice. At this vantage point he had an even greater view down the front of her dress and licked his lips while eyeing her pale skin.

"Have you killed many people, Captain Sparrow?"

"More than I can count, luv."

The sound of giggling had made Jack look up and he had spotted the girl's friends standing close to the wall a few feet away from them. Their attention was focused on him and the chit and when they saw him looking at them their fans immediately came out and the giggling increased along with the red staining their cheeks.

"That be yer friends over there?" he whispered into the girl's ear.

She turned and giggled herself. "Yes."

"Actin' mighty strange wouldn't ye agree?"

"Oh they're just being like that because you're talking to me. It was my idea to come here tonight and I guess they are not very used to the likes of the people here."

"Is that all?"

She shook her head slightly. "No, it's just that you're so close to me right now. It's quite indecent, at least from where I come from."

Jack leaned in even closer and brushed his lips along her cheek, earning an excited gasp from the lady. "Indecent am I? Well perhaps we should give them somethin' to make them blush even more so."

She had given him a confused look but then he had grasped a hold of her hand and drawn her against him as he led her towards the stairs to the rooms above.

"Ladies," he said, tipping his hat as they passed by her friends.

The girls practically swooned with shock as the couple disappeared upstairs.

It had only taken a few sips of ale for the lass to get right into the action. Jack had taken her twice that night before the rum and pleasure made him collapse into a dead man's sleep that not even the loudest cannons could stir him from.

He took another swig from the bottle as he remembered the lusty lass bouncing overtop of him, grinding against him with cries of passion. The memory made his loins tighten and he shifted uncomfortably on the bench. It had been a while since he had had his fun and perchance it was time for him to dock the Pearl at Tortuga for a bit of rest. His crew wouldn't object, having enough money to spend away on the women and booze to keep them content for a while. Some of them had already taken their release in the women back at Port Charles but Jack wasn't one to partake in rape. There wasn't anything pleasurable in taking a woman while she was screaming her head off and weeping and praying. But he couldn't deny his boys their fun and so turned a blind eye to their actions as all good captains did when it came to such matters.

_Nothin' better than a lass who is into the fun as much as I am_, he thought with a grin. _Makes them do more…_

Jack closed his eyes, reminiscing about past conquests, while his free hand slowly moved down to undo his belt buckle. He settled back against the cushions with a sigh, drinking more of the rum to keep the fires burning in his stomach. He began to work at the buttons of his trousers.

"Cap'n?" called a voice suddenly from behind the door.

Jack jumped at the sound and sat up making sure that his coat concealed his arousal before answering.

"What is it?" irritation prickled his voice at being disturbed.

The door opened and Pintel stuck his head in. "You's be wantin' yer dinner in yer quarters tonight, Cap'n?" he asked.

"Aye." Pintel moved to leave but Jack waved one hand. "Tell Barbossa that we sail for Tortuga next and break open one o' the barrels of ale for the crew. Ye mates earned it tonight."

"Aye aye sir!" Pintel grinned showing off an array of rotting teeth.

The door shut again and Jack stood unsteadily to his feet. His bottle was empty so he tossed it aside and strode over to the cabinet to get another one which was slightly hard since the room kept tipping to one side.

"Ahh gotcha, lovely," he slurred as his fingers wrapped around another bottle of rum. Half of the liquid was gone within a few seconds of it being out of the cabinet and Jack stumbled over to his bed and sat down heavily upon its covers. It wasn't as if he was a lightweight when it came to holding his alcohol but the stuff in his private stash wasn't just rum served in any old tavern. His stuff he had stolen from some very wealthy gentlemen over from India. This stuff was very good and very strong; it could fall a horse.

The door opened again and Pintel returned bearing a steaming tray of fresh fish and slices of beef with carrots and potatoes on the side. He placed the food on the table next to Jack's hat and left. Jack swayed over to the door and turned the lock.

_Don't be wantin' any more interruptions tonight,_ he thought with a smirk.


	3. Stowaway

Disclaimer: I have no rights to PotC…

A/N: Once again I have gone over this chapter and made some little tweaks here and there. A kind reviewer had enlightened me to the fact that most people could both read and write back then so I changed the story around to be more accurate historically speaking :D Thanks for the info KrissXed!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Cursed Souls

Brianna stirred out of her light sleep as voices echoed through the storeroom doorway. She blinked getting her eyes accustomed to the darkness in the room and caught her breath as the door opened suddenly. Through the crack between the large crates she was hiding behind she could see a couple of pirates enter, rolling an empty keg before them.

"Just put it over by them crates," ordered the fatter one, who swayed unsteadily on his feet. "Blast it all! Hangovers have to be the bloodiest nasty things ever," he complained, rubbing his eyes with one hand.

"Oh aye, that they be!" giggled the other pirate.

"Shut yer trap!"

Ragetti ducked as Pintel's hand swiped through the air, intending to knock him against the head but missed completely as his depth perception wasn't the greatest at the moment due to last nights drinking fiesta. Ragetti laughed as he easily skipped out of harm's way, belching loudly as the movements stirred his stomach.

"That was some good ale thou' weren't it?"

"Some o' the best I've had in a long time," agreed Pintel. "But it's back to work now, must get ready to dock in Tortuga."

"Ahh Tortuga…I love that place," sighed Ragetti with a far-off look to his face. "Lovely ladies there be to keep a man 'appy." He made some vulgar movements with his hips that had Brianna blushing down to her core.

"Aye, that be the truth," Pintel laughed heartedly.

Brianna shrunk down even more against the wall as the pirates moved closer to her. She clapped a hand over her mouth hoping to quiet her ragged breathing and was sure that they could hear the loud thumping of her heart, which was beating so fast in her chest that it was beginning to make her dizzy.

Ragetti placed the barrel right next to one of the crates and cracked his knuckles as the job was completed, "There, that be a good spot."

They turned to leave when all of a sudden Brianna's stomach gargled loudly. She squeaked and wrapped her arms around herself as Pintel stopped walking.

"You bein' hungry already?" he grumbled, turning to his companion. "By gods man, we's just had a big ol' dinner last night and breakfast ain't even cold in yer belly yet."

Ragetti scratched his head confused. "It weren't me mate. I ain't been 'ungry since the meal. I'm bloody stuffed as tis."

Brianna's eyes widened as Pintel frowned, slowly turning towards her hiding place. She hunched over in a ball on the floor squeezing her eyes shut. She trembled with fear as she heard the pirate's footsteps move around the room.

_Please let them leave_, she prayed trying to keep her whimpering quiet. The footsteps stopped and she cracked open one eye. Beyond the crates the room was empty, neither of the two pirates could be seen and Brianna let out a little sigh of relief. They had left.

She wiped the sweat from her brow and straightened her shirt out.

Suddenly a large hand clamped down on her shoulder and grabbed a hold of her clothing, lifting her out from behind the crates. She cried out in surprise as she was swung against the wall none too gently with the hand firmly planted against her shoulder holding her immobile. Brianna looked up into two pairs of eyes as Pintel and Ragetti sneered down at her.

"Well well well. Wha' 'ave we got here?" Pintel murmured. The tone of his voice made Brianna go cold.

"It looks as if we picked up a stowaway," giggled Ragetti.

"O' course we did!" Pintel yelled at the younger pirate. "The question is… wha' shall we do wi' him?"

"Oh oh, I know!" Ragetti cried out happily. "We's kill 'em!"

"Aye, that we do," he flashed a wicked grin. "And d'you know how we's go about killin' stowaways, lad?"

Brianna didn't move; she was too frozen with fear.

Pintel leaned in close, his stagnant breath wafting down on her. "We's tie them up wi' a line, cut 'em a bit wi' a sword, and then throws 'em overboard."

"We's throws ye overboard," echoed Ragetti softly.

"Then we's tie the other end of that there rope to the ship and drag the body wi' us across the ocean."

"Across the ocean behind the ship."

"A little snack for the sharks, ye see."

Ragetti clapped his hands together with glee and Pintel pulled out a knife from his belt and waved it just in front of Brianna's nose.

"We cut ye up good but not too much lad. Don't want ye to be dyin' on us before the sharks come. Just enough to make the blood flow so that they'll be attracted to ye."

Brianna bit back a sob at his words. She knew that she must look completely terrified to the pirates but she didn't want to emphasize her fear even more.

"Let's bring him up on deck, Pintel!" Ragetti laughed, "Let the boys see the stowaway and get in the fun!"

"Aye." He grabbed her by the back of the neck and shoved her forward through the doorway.

She was kicked out onto the main deck and landed in a sprawled position before most of the ship's crew.

"Hey mates!" yelled Pintel. "Look wa' we found down in the storeroom!"

The other pirates stopped what they were doing and came over to them. A huge bear of a man walked right up to Brianna and lifted her to her feet none too gently. "A stowaway," he sneered, "And a scrawny one at that."

The others laughed and made jeering comments about her while she was shoved from one pirate's grasp to another. They took the pouch from her belt and found the coins she had taken.

"Pretty boy, pretty boy!" mocked one pirate.

"Shark bait!" yelled another.

Brianna landed in the middle of the circle that had formed around her. She sat there looking up at the crew with wide eyes.

The crowd parted suddenly allowing Barbossa through.

"Why are ye dogs not at work!" he barked at them.

Bo'sun, the giant black skinned pirate, stepped forward. "Pintel and Ragetti found us a stowaway, sir," he said in a rumbling voice. "What should we do with him?"

"Cut his throat!" shouted a pirate.

"No, use him as shark bait!" argued Ragetti. "It'll be more fun!"

Brianna looked up at Barbossa as he towered over her. _Is this their captain?_

The man certainly looked the part, being armed to the teeth and having a wide hat with the plume of a feather sitting on top of his head. His hair and beard were completely gray and his teeth were a sickening yellow as he grinned down at her, his cold gray eyes giving her chills down to the bone.

"Go get Jack!" ordered Barbossa, "It's the Captain's decision about what the fate of this lad should be."

"Aye, sir!" Pintel replied and ran off.

Barbossa squatted down close to Brianna. "It seems as if yer in a bit of a predicament, lad. No where to go, no one here but us humble pirates. Yer life is in our hands so try not to do anything imprudent as to make us run ye though through with our swords. Aye?"

Brianna managed a nod and Barbossa laughed aloud.

"That be a good boy."

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BANG! BANG! BANG!

Jack moaned and squinted open an eye, looking around his room wondering where in the hell that infernal racquet was coming from.

"Cap'n! We's got us somethin' out here that requires yer attention!" yelled Pintel from behind the door.

Jack rolled his head around, cracking his neck, hoping that the room would stop spinning long enough for him to get his wits back about him. He stretched, knocking his empty bottle of rum off the bed onto the floor and gradually got to his feet.

"Cap'n?"

"Aye! I'll be with ye in a moment, mate!" he called out.

_Where did I put those blast'd pants… ah here we go_.

He grabbed a hold of his clothing and fumbled around with the trouser opening trying his best to sort out the pant legs. He hopped around the room pulling the pants up and did up the buttons. Putting on his belt, shirt, and waistcoat proved to be much easier and he quickly took a mouthful of water from the basin on his dresser and splashed some onto his face, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Feeling a bit better, he grabbed his pistol before opening the door to come face to ugly face with Pintel.

Jack grimaced slightly. It was unlawful to have to wake up to such an ugly sight.

"Aye?"

"We's found us a stowaway, Cap'n," Pintel explained. "The bugger's up on deck right now."

"Stowaway? …That's interestin'."

Jack followed Pintel out onto the sunny deck of the Pearl. The others parted widely to allow him a good view of the small boy crouched low against the planks. He was surprised at how tiny the lad was.

Brianna looked up as another pirate joined them. This was their Captain but he wasn't what she had expected. The man was quite young looking with wild black hair hanging just above his shoulders and there was a bountiful collection of coins, beads, and other trinkets braided throughout it giving the man an odd but strangely exotic appearance. He wore a faded green overcoat with black pants, high black boots, and a white shirt that was undone at the top allowing the golden skin of his chest to show. His face was clean shaven save for a well maintained goatee however it was his eyes that Brianna found herself staring at. They were a dark molten chocolate, almost black, and were rimmed by a thin line of kohl and she felt herself being pulled into them as he stared down at her.

She swallowed hard and made herself get to her feet with what little courage she had. It wasn't a good thing to cower on the ground, letting the pirates have their fun with her. Better to make them have a bit of respect for her… or at least that's what she hoped to achieve.

"Are you the Captain of this ship?" she asked steadily, thrusting her chin out a little and trying to lower her voice more than normal; after all she was pretending to be a boy.

Jack smiled, flashing his teeth at her. "Aye lad that I am. And must I say that ye have quite the set of balls on ye to have boarded this ship. Don't ye be knowin' that this be the Black Pearl?"

She sucked in a breath at the name. Brianna had indeed heard many tales about the infamous Black Pearl and its captain, Jack Sparrow; it being one of the most feared pirate ships ever known in the Caribbean, seemingly unstoppable with the most ferocious crew imaginable.

Jack's smiled widened at the look on the lad's face. "I take that as a no."

Barbossa stepped up to Jack's side. "What shall we do with him?" he inquired.

Jack stroked his chin in thought. It was in the custom that any stowaway caught was to be set adrift at sea and it was apparent that his crew wanted a bit of bloodspot this morning by the eagerness in their faces.

Brianna could tell that her time was running out and she stepped forward.

"I wish to join your crew!" she requested in a loud voice that even surprised her. Jack raised an eyebrow while the others murmured back and forth between themselves.

"And just what reason should I let ye join me crew for?" he asked her. "Ye ain't much but a twig, lad. Yer speech speaks o' bein' high born and yer skin, white as the arse on a nun," there came snickers from the crew, "says ye ain't seen much o' the sunlight. So I can guess that ye don't know much about ships and sailin' and the whatnot, am I right?"

"I'm a very fast learner!" she faltered cursing her appearance for the second time in the past two days. "I… I can be your cabin boy."

"Cabin boy?" guffawed Pintel. "He ain't be needin' no cabin boy!"

The others laughed along with the remark. Jack however gave him a thoughtful look. The ship did in fact lack a cabin boy at the moment, the last one having decided that swimming and late night alcohol binges were a great combination and sadly, much to Jack's dismay at losing someone who could bring him rum anytime he wanted, vanished into the deep before anyone could yell man overboard.

"How old are ye, lad?"

"Twelve, sir. I'll be thirteen in a week."

"And what else can you do for me besides bein' a cabin boy?" he wondered aloud.

"I can read and write proper" she replied, grateful that her chances were improving somewhat. "And I can speak six languages!"

This shocked Jack slightly. "Six languages? And what might those be?"

"Um… English--"

"We know that one, lad," he said interrupting her, "It's the others I'm askin' 'bout."

"French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and I know some Chinese, Mandarin that is, and I'm perfectly fluent in them," she finished

"Well, ain't we've got a learn'd lad wi' us today," Jack grinned. He waved one arm in the air in a lively gesture, "Tell ye what boy. Since I happen to be only versed in the King's English and French, ye teach me a bit of speakin', readin' and writin' o' them other languages and what say I give ye a chance at becomin' a real pirate? But--" he shook a ringed finger in front of her face, "ye must live under my command, do as I order wi'out question, and treat the Black Pearl with the utmost respect or ye'll find yerself in the company of some verra hungry sharks faster than ye can say Davy Jones's Locker. Savvy?"

Brianna stood with her mouth agape. She was going to live! "Yes! Of course, sir!" she stammered thankfully.

"Are ye really going to take this boy on as one of the crew, Captain?" Barbossa whispered to Jack, "He doesn't look like he would last one day as a pirate."

"Aye he does. But his small stature could come in handy as well as those languages of his, such as in Singapore." At the name of the city the crew's mood suddenly improved, since they had found Singapore to be a great place of entertainment, wealth, and adventure, "Besides, we've been needin' one since young Daniel's little accident and there's no harm in another set o' hands for the Pearl."

Barbossa nodded and stepped back, satisfied with Jack's decision. He couldn't care less of what happened to the boy, as long as he didn't get in _his_ way.

Jack clapped the lad on the shoulder. "And what be yer name, lad?"

"Um… Brian, Captain," Brianna thought up quickly. Short, sweet and easy to remember and close enough to her real name that she shouldn't have a problem responding to it.

"Well Brian welcome aboard the Black Pearl." With that Jack turned and strode up to the helm, leaving her alone with Barbossa and the others. She gave a quick prayer of thanks to the merciful heavens above that her life had been spared.

Barbossa turned to Pintel and Ragetti, "Since it was the two of ye who found him, you'll be the ones to keep your eyes on him. Real and wooden," he ordered, pointing at Ragetti's fake right eye, "Take him to that small room off the bow. That'll be his quarters from now on."

"Aye, sir." Pintel snapped a hand to his brow in a rough salute and motioned with his head for Brianna to follow him and she moved quickly to comply wondering what was in store for her next…

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A/N: Well Brianna was finally caught and brought before our beloved Jack Sparrow and thank you for all of your kind reviews!


	4. Cabinboy Duties

Disclaimer: I own Captain Jack Sparrow (evil and insane laugh). Hehe yeah… (disclaimers are fun :P) Sadly, in truth, the only thing I own is my Brianna, female pirate-in-hiding lol.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Cursed Souls

Brianna's quarters turned out to be hardly more than a closet with a small ratty bunk to rest on and an even tinier chest for storage. The room was windowless and a lantern hung on one wall, swinging back and forth lazily with the rocking motion of the ship. It had an overall musty smell and a slight damp feel to it but nothing that clean sheets and a bit of airing out couldn't cure. The best thing about the room Brianna found was that the door had a large iron lock on it that would ensure her privacy therefore aiding her in keeping the whole girl identity a secret.

She noticed that the bed sat a few inches off the wooden floor and she glanced under it and found a metal chamber pot. It was coated in dust and she could see a couple of rat droppings over in the far corner. She made a face and decided that a good sweep was in order.

"I'll let ye get settl'd in then," Pintel snickered. "So ye stay here for the time bein' and I'll return once the Cap'n's decided yer duties." He swung the door shut and Brianna found herself alone once more. She sat down on the thin mattress and clasped her hands in her lap. She was still amazed at how fast things had moved. Suddenly finding herself being brought before the pirates, almost being thrown overboard as shark food, and now she was a part of the crew of the infamous Black Pearl. Her mother and stepfather would royally shit themselves if they knew what she was up to right now. No doubt they would send the English garrison after her just so that they could have the pleasure of punishing her severely for this little _adventure_.

Brianna grinned imagining the shock on their faces. Maybe one day in the future when she was a great pirate (if she managed to live long enough to become one) she would return to Port Charles and scare the wits out of them! Wouldn't that be some great fun!

"Avast thee matey," she said softly, pretending to hold out a sword in front of her, waving it before the imaginary face of Count Vandoon, "Don't move a muscle or I'll run ye through you landlubber dog."

She laughed at her own antics and flopped down on the bed resting her arms behind her head. This had to be the most fun she had ever been through since her papa had died. Sailing out across the vast sea with a bunch of pirates was something she had only heard about in stories and never in her entire life would she have expected to actually do it one day. Even though her fortunes remained unsure, Brianna resolved to become the best pirate she could be and earn her place among the others. There was nevertheless the fact that she didn't know how to handle a sword or shoot a pistol or even protect herself in a fistfight. Perhaps someone could teach her if she asked nicely enough and at the right moment. Maybe from the pirates that had found her? Brianna shook her head and decided against it. Those two looked as if they didn't have a kind bone in their body much less enough patience to help her out.

_Maybe that man with the gray hair? The first mate?_ Brianna frowned. Her scalp had prickled the moment he had appeared and something in her head told her that she should be cautious of him…

_Captain Jack Sparrow seemed nice enough_, she thought. _Of course so did the Count back when he was courting mama and just looked where that led to, _she grimaced in disgust. _There are two sides to every coin out there, just like people. Mama was kind and adoring those years with father but she's cold and isolated with Vandoon. I wonder what my other side is? And what's Mr., er, Captain Sparrow's other side like?_ The image of Jack's face floated into her mind. He had been the one to save her life and for that she was grateful since it was her own fault for boarding the ship in the first place. He didn't really seem like the Jack Sparrow she had heard about in the tales passed on by mouth back at home. They had told that he was a heartless and violent heathen that deserved nothing more than a short drop and quick stop at the end of a noose. Brianna shrugged, it didn't matter to her what the tales said because she would find out firsthand if they were true or not.

She didn't have to wait long for the pirate to return for her. He opened the door without even a light rap and jerked a thumb behind him.

"Hurry it up ye bugger. I ain't got all day to show ye 'round here."

Bri jumped off her bed and followed him back out into daylight.

"Right then, at five o'clock ye wake up and go to the galley to help the cook wi' the breakfast. Then before the crew comes in at six ye have to go to the Cap'n's quarters and give him his meal, he don't eat with wi' us crew ye see? Then get yer own food and help Jarcoff wi' cleanup. At eight ye'll be scrubbin' the hallways below deck and all the rooms. Keep 'em clean as possible, we don't want no mold eatin' away at the Pearl and make sure ye start with the Cap'n's cabin."

Pintel ticked off a finger.

"After that it'll be 'bout noon and ye be up on deck wi' da Captain doin' shadow work."

"What's shadow work?" Brianna asked.

"Ye be the Cap'n's shadow and do whatever he says and get him whatever he wants. Ye are to stand off a bit from him, not crowdin' what, and do'n go leavin' his side until two. Then that be yer free time to get some food in yer belly. Cap'n Jack is the only one who gets served a lunch, the rest o' the crew have ta put together their own meal. I suggest ye start learning 'bout the ship and all durin' yer free time and maybe practice a bit wi' a sword or somethin'."

Another finger.

"Then at four you's be on the main deck mendin' sails, doin' repairs on the deck, coilin' rope and stuff. The ship's carpenter will help ye out with that a bit until ye get the 'ang of it. At six go help the cook wi' the dinner and give the Cap'n his before the crew comes in to eat; just like the breakfast. After dinner ye'll be teachin' Jack that readin' and writin' bit he wanted. And finally at ten until midnight ye'll be up in the crows nest as the watch out. Then you's can do whatever ye want after that unless the Cap'n be needin' somethin'. Got it so far?" Pintel jabbed a finger in her face and Brianna nodded quickly showing that she had been paying very close attention to what her duties were.

Pintel nodded, pleased that he wouldn't have to be repeating himself and brought the lad below deck on the other side of the ship to show him where the galley was. A small alcove, which served as a food prep area, sat at the back against the ship's outer hull with a window near it so the cook could bring in water to cool the stoves or to boil for the food. The room was empty at the moment, the crew already having been fed their breakfast.

"If Cap'n Jack be wantin' ye for anythin' while you's be doin' yer other jobs, ye drop everythin' and go to him. That's basically what a cabin boy does is be the lackey for da Captain."

"Lackey for the Captain. Right." Bri repeated.

Pintel moved on going up a short flight of stairs into another hallway.

"This be where the crew's quarters are. Steal anythin' from us and ye'll find yerself walkin' the plank wifout no arms."

"Ya! You'll be walking the plank and not bein' able to swim!"

Both Brianna and Pintel turned at the other voice and saw Ragetti coming up from behind them. Brianna was slightly taken back when she noticed that his right eye was missing.

"What happened to your eye?" she asked without thinking first.

Pintel sighed, "Ye haven't been scratchin' at it again! I told ye to keep it in that there socket unless ye be sleepin'!"

"I know but it splinters somethin' terrible and I have to pull them slivers out every now and again," Ragetti whined.

"If ye had some mind in that hallow skull of yours ye would have saved up yer part of the cuts and bought a glass eye a long time ago instead of spendin' it on them whores," Pintel told him for the millionth time, "That one don't even fit," he pointed at the round wooden eye held in his friend's hand. Ragetti smiled and shoved it into the empty socket where it lolled about for a second before facing forwards.

Brianna blinked. _These two are really something else_…

"So yer part o' the crew now?" Ragetti asked. "My name be Ragetti and this 'ere is me mate, Pintel."

"Brian." Brianna said, not bothering with the formal 'pleased to meet you'. She didn't think the pirates would care much less for her fancy manners and she would rather not be the butt of anymore jokes today; least of all anything doing with sharks.

"Brian eh… well you couldn't 'ave joined a better ship, matey. We be the best pirates in _all_ the Caribbean. Ain't that right, Pintel?"

"Aye," he agreed.

"What are we talking about gents?"

They turned again to another newcomer's voice and Brianna found herself looking up into the face of a _very_ fine looking man. He wore a brown gentleman's suit that had once being at the pinnacle of fashion but now, after time and use, it had faded in colour and tears and patches were randomly spaced in the material. His face was clean shaven except for a small well-maintained goatee, which seemed to be quite popular these days, and his left ear had two gold hoop earrings dangling down from the lobe. A thin scar cut across his left cheek to end just above the corner of his mouth and his dark brown hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. He had delicious chocolate colored eyes that made Bri weak in the knees, especially when he gave her quick once over with a friendly smile, showing a perfect set of white teeth. _Jeez, why couldn't he have been my fiancé, _she wished, continuing to give him her own curious inspection. The man's lower legs were covered in purple stockings and he had on a pair of high brown boots with a large silver buckle right in the middle of each bootstrap. The footwear was well cared for, oiled and immaculately clean and the buckles shined in the dim light of the hall. He had a certain well-mannered air about him and Brianna found herself at ease in his presence.

The man stuck out his hand. "I'm the one known as Bootstrap Bill, or just Bootstrap will do."

"Brian," Brianna shook his hand, making sure to grip down hard just as a boy would do. He grinned and stepped back, shaking his hand slightly.

"Strong arm on you, lad," he laughed. "You could give my limp wrested friend here a few lessons, couldn't he?" he joked, jabbing Pintel in the ribs with an elbow.

Pintel shook his head but allowed a small smile at his mate's jests.

"Too much usin' it to jerk his own goods, if you know what I mean," Bootstrap continued. "You, mate, need to get a woman to do that for you. It's her job isn't it though?"

Brianna felt like slapping herself against the head in exasperation… Was that the only thing men thought of?

Ragetti whooped with glee at Pintel, "Aye, get yerself a woman to do 'er job!"

Pintel raised his arm in threat and Ragetti cowered away from him. "That be enough out of ye!" he commanded.

Ragetti continued to giggle despite the warning while Bootstrap just stood there grinning undauntedly, his hands on his hips.

_I have to get use to this kind of humor_, Brianna thought.

"So you just showin' the lad around the ship?" Bootstrap asked.

"Yep and yer takin' up precious time," Pintel replied. "He gots to start workin'. There's no place on the Pearl for laziness."

"Oh, well then what is he to do first?"

"Since the breakfast be out of the way he's supposed ta be scrubbin' them floors and stuff startin' wi' the Cap'n's quarters."

"Well I'm heading that way. I'll take our young Brian off your hands for you if you want," Bill offered.

Pintel shrugged, "That be fine. I gots me own agenda. Go with Bootstrap, lad. He'll take ye."

"See ye 'round, matey!" Ragetti waved, walking away with Pintel into the bowels of the Pearl.

Brianna looked over at Bootstrap who was smiling down at her.

"Onwards!" Bootstrap exclaimed pointing a finger in the direction of the main deck. Brianna simply shook her head, following a pace behind him.

_Pirates certainly are a confusing bunch_, Brianna mused. _First there are the serious, dangerous looking ones like that first mate, then there are the sickening, yet funny, moronic bunch, and third there are suave, attractive pirates like Bill and the Captain. What a mixed barrel of grapes I've gotten myself into_…

She wondered just which category she fit best with. Since there were no other gender benders in the lot of them (at least she didn't think there were) Brianna guessed that she fit somewhere in between the suave and serious areas.

_I'm certainly not dangerous, at least not yet, for I can't even kill a fly without feeling bad_.

Suddenly she realized that she might be forced to kill a living person. Hell of course she would! Pirates did that thing all the time and to refuse would only bring trouble her way and also if she was seen with the pirates by the Queen's men, it would put her in a kill or be killed situation anyway. Facing the gallows was something that Brianna did not want to go through…

"Ahh here we are!" Brianna almost collided with Bill's back as he stopped right before her. He opened a door to reveal a room even smaller than Brianna's, loaded full of odds and ends. Bill rooted about the clutter before coming up holding a mop and wooden bucket.

"These'll be yours of course," he said proudly and handed them almost ceremoniously to her, "Now back to the kitchen. You'll be wantin' to wash the inside floors with water mixed with a bit of booze. Seems to make it clean up a bit better, no?"

"I guess so."

"Haven't been aboard a ship much have you?" Bill deduced.

"Not really, no."

"Well, shouldn't take you too long to get the hang of things, knowin' six languages and all this should be a breeze for you. A little bit of advice though from a seadog of fifteen years," Bill said leaning in close to her, "Stay away from Bo'sun if I were you. He's third with the power and also the keeper of the cat o' nines. Weird man. Sailed with him for goin' on two years now and still the crew and I don't know his name. Hence just the Bo'sun title."

"Okay," Brianna said softly.

"Oh and make sure you clean your teeth, you don't want gums like Pintel or Ragetti now do you?"

She shook her head. _Not like I was going to stop in the first place_…

"And also keep your feet dry. Gangrene sets in quick when at sea because of all the moisture and havin' a leg sawed off is nasty business. I've had to hold a few men down while id'st been done and none too pretty I can assure you. Especially since we're between ship doctors as it is."

"Makes sense," Bri agreed, "Actually I was wondering… is there anything I need to know about the Captain? I wouldn't want to make him upset with me seeing as I just became a member of the crew."102

Bootstrap laughed and shook his head, "Na, not really. Just don't go takin' his rum that's all. He's a good man and an even better pirate," Bootstrap replied with a chuckle, "But if you're askin' my opinion, it would be Barbossa that I would be worried about angerin' anytime soon. Get on his good side as soon as possible."

"Barbossa?"

"The first mate, lad. Guy with the big hat."

"Oh him..."

"Now let's be off again!" Bill said with another point of the finger.

She listened as Bootstrap went on about the ship and the different members of the crew as they acquired the water and cheap ale that would be used for the floor. He spoke highly of the pirate's code, which Brianna had learned about first from her father, and of the many places that they had sailed to on the Black Pearl with Singapore at the top of his list; having won the title of 'most interesting'. Bri couldn't wait to do something like that. All her life had been spent on the two islands which had held her parent's estates and never had she traveled far from them.

"Now this is Jack's quarters. Make sure you knock first," Bootstrap informed Bri, as they came to a closed door, and rapped his knuckles against it.

"What?" came a muffled reply through the wood.

"Hey Captain! I have your new cabin boy here to start his job!"

There was a slight pause as Jack looked up from his charts to the door, his brows knit together in puzzlement .

_Cabin boy?... Ah yes, the lad from before_.

"Come in!" he shouted.

He had almost forgotten all about the stowaway that his crew had found this morning, having become so absorbed in his work on trying to make sense of the strange markings on the papers before him. Most of the writing was in a strange script that Jack hadn't seen before and what _was_ in English were odd riddles. He flipped them over as Bootstrap entered with the boy, Brian was it, and gave them a grin.

"Pretty good timin', mates I've a little task for Brian here."

Bootstrap laughed and slapped Bri on the shoulder, "Well ain't it your lucky day. Go on and good luck, I'll be seein' you around deck," He waved to Jack, "See ya, Captain."

Jack nodded and gestured to the lad for him to come join him.

Bri placed her bucket and mop against the wall and stood attentively at his side. He rifled through a few papers piled on the table before sliding one in front of her right side up, "Can you read that?" he asked.

Bri took the paper and scanned the odd symbols before shaking her head. "No sir, I can't."

Jack cursed softly and picked out another sheet, giving it to the kid, "You can read that though, I'm sure."

The script this time was in Spanish and Bri looked over at the Captain, who had his arms folded behind his head waiting for her to begin.

She cleared her throat,

"Moonlight falls, while shadows crawl through the cavern doorway. Eight hundred and eighty two pieces of the sun caught in the rock, and hide within the darkness of tan. Searchers need not search for they have already found, yet finders remain lost in the blue." She furrowed her brow trying to read the crude lettering as it faded away at the bottom of the page, "What… can be undone can't be done without a sum, both in soul and purse. Remain as before… th… through falls of the sun for this be the mighty god's curse. It ends there," she finished, handing the paper back to Jack.

He stared at it in his hands. "Did that make any sense to you?"

"Not at all, sir. It sounds like a poem or rhyme, maybe part of a story…" she tried.

Jack shrugged and piled all the papers together before standing up and taking them over to his cabinet where he deposited them. He was slightly disappointed that he hadn't gotten anywhere with them today… oh well. He turned around to the boy, "Now," he clapped his hands together, "yer here to scour me room I take it. Uhh…" he paused looking down at the chaotic mess of clothes, empty bottles, and random objects strewn all over the floor. He tapped a long finger against his cheek not having realized his quarters looked as if a hurricane had passed through them without him noticing. It was amazing he had even been able to walk across the room without stepping on something that would have had him flat on his face. _Now that wouldn't have been a good first impression for the lad. Good thing I'm not drunk_… _yet._

Jack shrugged and gave the boy a quick grin. "Good luck!" And he was out the door before the lad could utter a sound.

Brianna gaped after him. What on earth was she to do with the clothes? Wash them? The bottles? Toss them out to sea with a little note strapped inside?

She shook her head and gritted her teeth together, rolling up her sleeves to the elbows. If the man wanted his room cleaned… well then she would clean it as best she could. She just hoped that she would have time to get the other scrubbing done, it was already getting near noon and her time to become a shadow under the high sun was drawing near.

_Now… just where the hell should I start_?

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Jack sauntered back to his room after a day at the wheel of his beloved Pearl. His gait swayed slightly in a carefree manner while his arms swung at his sides. He was rather pleased with himself at that moment; having made a good choice in keeping the lad onboard instead of putting him out into the ocean like the crew had first wanted. Hell… he always seemed to make good choices; a perk to being one of the greatest pirates in the Spanish Main. He had hardly even noticed Brian was there when the boy had been doing his shadow work, but it was a great thing because now he didn't have to fetch himself a drink anymore while at the helm. The rum had been consistent when desired and he hadn't needed to call on the other members of the ship for his needs and taking them from their own work to get it for him. And, also having thought on it for the last few hours, Jack had realized that the verse Brian had recited that morning for him turned out to make a lot of sense, you just had to go about thinking it from a different approach than normal.

Yep, so far his day was going pretty damn good. Crew was in a good mood, their route to Tortuga was heading into good weather, and soon they all would be taking a rest at port and enjoying hot meals, fresh water, lots of ale, and all the pleasurable company they wanted.

Jack hummed a sea chantey as he walked, heading back to his quarters for the evening meal, which was supposed to be something _other_ than fish tonight.

"It had been gripped by fingers ten;

And there they lay, all good dead men

Like break o'day in a boozing ken

Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum."

He sang out in a baritone voice, pausing at the last line to take a good hardy swig from the rum bottle that Brian had gotten for him that last hour.

He swallowed the delectable liquid Jack and puckered his lips as he thought of the lad. Something didn't seem entirely right about him… It had perplexed him since that morning… something… _now what was it_?

Jack scratched his head in thought.

_Oh yes_!

The name. The lad didn't suit Brian at all. Not even a minuscule amount, "He's gotta get a better name," Jack mumbled as he reached his room. He opened the door, one foot poised ready to enter and suddenly lurched to a stop upon beholding the sight before him. He blinked a couple of times and shook his head just to be sure that his direction had not been muddled up by the traces of alcohol coursing through his system therefore ending him up at someone else's room besides his own.

Jack planted one boot down carefully on the immaculately clean wooden floor as he stepped slowly through the doorway. The mess that had layered it in a carpet of glass, cloth, bumps and crevices, was absent. He crept over to his bunk which, to his great surprise was made, the sheets pulled tightly around the mattress, and he noticed that there was actual space underneath it for the first time in months. Upon further inspection he found his clothing folded and placed away neatly in the chest while all manner of bottles had been scrubbed out and put back in the cabinet, some even full of a new liquid which Jack uncorked and took a quick whiff of, finding with delight that the boy had refilled them with the good whiskey that the cook kept in the kitchen.

"Smart lad," he smiled sipping a bit of the drink. "Excellent stuff…"

He still felt a bit out of place though, him all raggedy in the middle of a spick and span room, so he kicked off his boots and tossed them onto the floor where they lay at a distance from each other on their sides.

"Better." Jack flopped down on his favorite seat by the window, his nose already picking up the delightful aroma of tonight's food coming from down the hallway.

Brain entered bearing a loaded tray in one arm while a jug of water balanced precariously in the other. He weaved over to the table and set up the dinner making sure none of the mint sauce sloshed over the side of the plate onto the table.

"What's the course tonight, lad?" Jack asked watching him from the bench.

"Lamb, biscuits, and some apples."

"Ahh lamb. Haven't had that bit in a while." He got to his feet and kicked out a chair at the table, sliding into it with a grunt and picking up the carving knife, poking the meat with the tip.

Brian stood off to one side, "Is there anything else you require, sir?"

Jack bit off a large chunk of the mutton, chewing thoughtfully. "Actually there is," he mumbled through a full mouth, "Have ye already eaten?"

The lad shook his head. "No sir, but I'm not too hungry. Had a big lunch today."

"Oh good, then ye can stay a while. I've some things to converse with ye about." He gave the other chair at the table a kick and motioned for Brian to take a seat.

The lad sat down, his back arched stiff and hands clasped together in his lap. It almost looked to Jack like the boy would bolt at any second and he cocked his head to the side, making the trinkets in his hair jingle, "Relax boy. I'm not gonna bite yer head off," he remarked with a quirk of his eyebrows.

Brian merely nodded but did loosen up a bit, slouching back against the chair frame.

"Right. Now ye said yer twelve?"

"Yes sir."

"And how does a lad yer age go 'bout knowin' six languages I wonder."

"My father was an accountant. He had to work with a lot of people from other countries and I guess he found that knowing the languages made the money flow better and decided that I should know them as well, being as all he wanted me to take over the family business one day," Brianna told him, her papa having indeed wanted her to take an interest in his profession since he had no sons to succeed him.

"And what became of said father?" Jack asked, noting the past tense in the boy's speech.

"He died a few years ago, sir."

"That happens. Shame though, so sorry." Jack continued eating letting the room into silence. He had guessed that his new cabin boy had come from a well refined lifestyle, his whole manner and dialect screaming wealth, and to learn that many languages did cost a pretty shilling to most. "And what made ye board the Pearl during our raid on Mai' Mai' exactly?"

"I was running away from home."

"May I inquire as to why?"

"My stepfather set me up into an arrange marriage. On my fifteenth birthday," she added quickly knowing that sons married a bit later than daughters.

"Ugly lass?" he asked, looking up from his dinner.

"Oh hideous!" Brianna hastily thought as to what traits men would consider of as ugly. "Um, huge nose complete with a wart on the tip, long in the face kind of like a horse. Very pudgy and snotty. Even had short whiskers hanging down from her chin!"

Jack made a face; ugly was right… "So ye didn't want to get married to the chit and came aboard me ship as a means of escape from said obligation?"

She tilted her head to the side. "Yes," she answered truthfully. "But I've always had an eagerness to travel the seas. And pirating had sounded quite fascinating when I heard about it from the people back at home."

"Talk and tales are all very good lad, but it takes courage and fortitude to be a pirate," Jack leaned across the table staring straight into Brian's eyes, "Do ye believe that ye have what it takes?"

Brianna nodded confidently. "Aye sir. I do."

Jack grinned that sly smile of his and tossed one of the apples to the boy who caught it easily with one hand.

"That's what I want'd to hear, mate. And good reflexes there," he commented. He took the other apple and bit into it with a satisfying crunch, "Now, there is _one_ more duty that I have for ye. If ye'll be so kind as to follow me…"

Bri jumped to her feet as Jack Sparrow stood and proceeded out the door munching away on the fruit. She took a bite of her own apple wondering what he was up to.

Their destination turned out to be a post situated in the middle of the armory below deck. Jack leaned against the wooden pillar cocking his head towards it, "Now this lad, is something verra special. It's where we mark our winnin's, be it a battle at sea or a lootin' expedition in some town. But every time we triumph it gets mark'd into this here wooden post, sort of like a record for the future that we can look back on and see just how impressive we were, savvy?"

She nodded as her eyes scanned over the small notches made in the wood starting from the ceiling to end one third of the way down. "You've had a lot of victories."

"Aye, we sure have," he softly stroked the post in a lover's caress, "And now it has befallen upon you to do the notches. It's a very distinguished job, I can assure ye."

"Thank you," she said genuinely.

"I gave it to ye 'cause some of the crew are _very_ forgetful at times. Too busy wi' the ransackin' and glitter of the gold. A few do'n even know how to count," he muttered. "Odd ain't it?"

"Yes, I guess it would be."

Jack swaggered up in front of Brian and reached into the sash at his waist and took out a knife that he had retrieved from his locker earlier that day, "That post is still missin' its most recent documentation." He handed the blade to the lad, "Go to it, mate."

She took the hilt in her hand and moved around Captain Sparrow to the pillar. Beside the last notch she dug the knife into the timber, making a small clean cut, marking the Black Pearl's victory at Port Charles. Bri turned on her heel holding out the knife for Jack to take back but he shook his head, "Ye keep it, I have me own sword already."

Brianna nodded and placed it in her belt.

"Well, that takes care o' that!" he dusted off his hands, taking his leave, "I have a few things yet to do before the evenin' wears out. Oh and by the way, lov'ly job on the room, couldn't 'ave done a better job meself, well that is if I would've ever done it. Not much of an orderly buccaneer I am. Oh well…"

She watched him strut out of the room, humming some tune under his breath and heaved a sigh once she was alone, her lips perking up at the corners in a small smile.

_One day down… many more to go._


	5. Newbie Luck

Disclaimer:  Same as before, mates!

A/N:  Me again!  Nothing much going on except watching PotC many times over on my computer (joy!).  Hot, hot, hot Captain Jack Sparrow (drool).  I've been reading two REALLY good PotC angst stories and LOVE to do angst as well but I've been trying really hard to keep this one a bit more peaceful and humorous.  Let's see how it goes shall we?

::Jukia Wolfcall::  Don't worry.  Jack isn't thinking about "Brian" in that sort of way (not that there's anything wrong with that) it's just that he prefers the opposite gender in my story.

::Eradwyn::  Yo Ho Ho, A Pirate's Life for Me, and Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest are two different songs (and you were right, Elizabeth did teach Jack the first one on that island).

::Brandyllyn::  Thanks for the info on Bo'sun, I would've never known that due to being a landlubber all my life :)

                                                       Pirates of the Caribbean:  Cursed Souls

"The gold in the ch… chest was under umm… w…wa…"

"Water."

"Oh right."  Jack quickly found his spot on the parchment again and traced the bold lettering with one ringed finger.  "The gold be… beeelonged to the pirate."  He grinned at Brianna.  "That bugger better not touch the gold.  Nothin' worse than a scallywag stealin' another pirate's hard found treasure that's for sure, eh?" he said referring to the character Brianna had made up in her head for the Captain to read about.

They had been reading verses for over an hour now, Bri amazed at just how much Jack had improved over the last week with her tutoring.  For the first three days she had been sure that the pirate captain had not even been listening to her while she had gone over the basic alphabet, pronouncing the sounds each letter made and making him trace over the letters that she had scrawled out on some loose paper they had found among the odds and ends in the cargo hold.  Jack had seem distant and uninterested in her little lessons, having either stared out of the window in his room or paced about the floor while coddling a bottle of rum.  She had almost given up hope for him until on the forth day Jack had surprised and shocked her by writing out what he had wanted for dinner that night in complete sentences.  Brianna had held the paper in one hand giving him a perplexed look.  Jack had merely given her another one of those confident grins and shrugged his shoulders, telling her that he had a knack for picking up on things quickly.  

Quickly wasn't really the best term he should have used, more like 'at an insane rate' fit better.  Sure his writing was a bit crude and there were a few spelling errors but it was quite legible.  Brianna had noticed, with some humor, that Jack had replaced the _my_ in _'for my dinner'_ with a _me, but she decided against correcting him.  There was nothing in her outline of duties telling her to teach the Captain grammar skills as well as the basics._

"Are you _sure_ you didn't know how to read and write before my lessons?" she asked him as he completed yet another paragraph with only a few minor problems.

"Aye.  The only thing I knew how to write before was me own name," he told her.  "That and numbers."

"Keep this up and you won't be needing my help anymore," she mumbled, half to herself and half to Jack.  

"But by then you'll have turned pirate for your sake," he replied nonchalantly continuing to draw out rough letters with the quill pen she had fashioned.  "Otherwise you'll be findin' yourself adrift on the ocean or alone in some port, wherever I decide to put you that's not an inconvenience to me."

Finally he had mentioned the fear that had been gnawing away at the back of her mind for the past while.  Good news only lasted so long before it was followed by the harsher reality of her situation.  Pirates didn't take on lowly stowaway boys just out of the goodness of their own hearts, there was always a profit to be made out of their actions no matter how small they seemed.  

"There's no place on the Pearl for a free ride and the chores you do now lad were getting done long before you came along, savvy?" he said with a gold toothed grin.

"Aye, Captain."

Jack didn't miss the flicker of fear in the lad's big eyes and knew it was the fear that would be the final motivation to make his young cabin boy prove himself and become a full fledged pirate; one that Jack as well as the rest of his crew acknowledged.     

"Good, we understand each other then."  

Of course there was always the fact that the lad knew how to speak those other languages but translators could be found at almost every port for a few silver coins so it wasn't as if Brain was indispensable to the Black Pearl.

A rap on the door interrupted the two from the lesson and Bootstrap poked his head in.

"Captain, Barbosa spotted a plantation a few leagues off the starboard side.  Shall we pay them a little visit this fine evening?" he waggled his eyebrows in anticipation.  Jack lazily got to his feet and stretched his hands over his head, earning a loud crack from his back.  He slapped his triangular hat over his matted black hair and stood in front of Brianna with a smirk showing off the metal fillings in his mouth.

"There's no time like the present to begin proving yourself, eh lad?"

Brianna jumped to her feet, her hand enclosing the handle of the dirk nestled in her belt eagerly awaiting his next words.

"First lesson of bein' a pirate," he said picking up his pistol and placing it within the sash at his waist, "is plunderin' on unsuspecting folk."  Jack turned to Bill.  "Ready the cannons incase we be needin' them and snuff out all manners of light, we're goin' in silently."

"Yes sir!"  Bootstrap ran off to give the orders to the rest of the crew, Brianna tailing him after getting a nod from Jack for her to leave.  As soon as she set foot outside his cabin she was swept up in the excitement of the preparations for their attack.  No one spoke though above a whisper as the few torches scattered around the Pearl were extinguished with seawater casting the ship into darkness, the only light coming through the thin haze of clouds covering the quarter moon.  The water lapped softly against the hull as the distance between the Black Pearl and the small island homestead shortened.  Brianna clung to a side railing, leaning over the dark water watching the plantation buildings for any signs of movement.  All seemed quiet on the island, the residents most likely finishing their evening meals and readying for bed.  No one was out surveying the surrounding ocean for threats; a plus for the pirates.  

Brianna felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Bill standing next to her.  He handed her a pistol,

"That there little blade of yours won't be doin' ye' much good in a fight."  The weapon felt abnormally heavy in her small hand and Bri swallowed hard at the thought of using it on anyone.  She stuck it in her sash beside the knife and murmured a soft thanks.  

"You'll be goin' in after the mates in the first boat are done.  Safety precautions and all since you're still fresh at our game.  Then you'll be free to grab a hold of any loot you come across and bring it back to the boats."

"What kind of loot?  Coins?"

"Basically anything shiny, lad."  Bill grinned, exposing a set of perfectly white teeth.  "You come from a wealthy background; you should know what's valuable and such.  Just remember though as soon as the horn sounds you be back on the boats quick as lightning.  Any pirate that falls behind gets left behind."

_Oh yes, can't forget the pirate code now can I? _she thought dryly.  She had no intention of falling under that particular part of the code just because she was the newest and youngest member of the crew, left behind to face the anger of the plantation owners once the skirmish was over and of course the ever present threat of a noose around her neck.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Jack had reclaimed position at the Pearl's wheel with Barbosa at his side.  He signaled orders to his men to launch the boats, the ship having reached the closest possible distance without it becoming too visible to the island folk.  This would be a quick hit and run venture mainly to restock on fresh drinking water and food and add a few more valuable trinkets to their already full hold and Jack really didn't feel like postponing their little rendezvous in Tortuga any more than they had to.  

The longboats dropped silently into the water and the men piled in.  Bri was ushered into the same one as Bill and she thanked her lucky stars that she had at least someone familiar close by her.  There had formed a sort of friendship between her and the handsome gentleman pirate, one that wasn't spoken but they seemed to understand each other along with sharing common interests; besides the womanizing that Bootstrap constantly brought up at every possible moment much to the delight of the other _male pirates.  She just listened quietly as he chatted away about _this such tale _and _that such night _adding a few "uh huh's" and "you don't say" between the pauses._

 Jack watched from the helm as the Pearl's crew reached the shoreline and disembarked.  He caught a few glimpses of the small lad as Bootstrap led him up to the main courtyard, the two disappearing between the tall slender trunks of some palms.  

"I thought ye' said you would be needin' the lad in Tortuga, Jack," Barbosa commented.  "Won't do ye' much good if he dies on this night while stealin' some mere trifles."

"I ordered Bootstrap to keep an eye on him tonight just to make sure that he returns all in one piece.  Besides, if there had been a risk I wouldn't have let him go now would I?"  Jack retorted regarding his first mate with a frown.  Barbosa took the hint and shook his head,

"No sir, ye wouldn't 'ave."

The sound of gunfire echoed off of the rock walls surrounding the island inlet.  Jack turned back to the beach and matters at hand, smelling the faint fumes of smoke as his crew began to torch the smaller buildings of the estate.  He heard Barbosa move away from him calling out to Simbakka, the master gunner, to bring them a spyglass so they could watch the action more clearly.

*                                                                 *                                                                     *

Bri huddled silently in the shadows concealed by some large ferns.  People rushed by her hiding place in panic, screaming or crying, carrying both goods and children in their haste to escape the oncoming pirates.  The pistol sat in her right hand and her dagger in the left as she waited for a signal from Ragetti, who had moments before gone in through a garden entrance into the main house with Pintel.  She had been told to stay behind until they had cleared the building, allowing her full access to loot without getting shot at.  Since the two pirates loved blood sport and she still had yet to learn how to use a gun properly and accurately, it had seemed like the best choice.  Bri could hear yelling beyond the glass doors as the two whooped and hollered as they ran down the few maids and butlers left behind in their master's wake.  One woman's screams were particularly loud and Bri felt bile rise in her throat at the cries of pain.  

_Don't worry about her, Bri, _she thought to herself.  _You can't help her; you can't stop what's happening to her.  Just let it be or else you'll be the one to end up in hot water…  Just wait for the signal from Rag—_

She jerked back her head as her eyes caught sight of a quick wave from an upstairs window.  _There's the signal…_

Bri ran across the open space to the doorway and stepped inside.  The room was pitch black and she allowed a moment's pause for her eyes to become accustomed to the dark surroundings.  The room was all but bare save for a sofa lining one wall.  Nothing valuable could be seen so she headed into the next room which turned out to be a ballroom of sorts.  Silver cutlery adorned a few of the tables and Bri gathered as much as she could and bundled them in one of the white silk tablecloths making a crude sack, which she slung over one shoulder on her way through the rest of the house.  Purses of coins, jewelry from the master bedroom, gold letter openers, and bolts of fine cloth were also added to the sack.  

Bri hesitated as she came across slender bottles of French perfumes knowing that the liquids were very expensive but the crystal of the bottles made them easily breakable and the lids would come off if they were bounced around with the rest of her stolen goods.  Deciding that the perfume was too expensive to ignore she crossed over to a clothing chest and sorted through the material coming up with a man's dark blue jacket with large pockets on the front.  Bri put on the garment rolling up the sleeves, which were a good four inches longer than her fingertips, and lined the pockets with strips of cloth she tore from a dress.  The perfume sat nicely within the jacket, snuggled tight and secure with no possibility of breakage unless of course she fell directly on top of the bottles.

Satisfied with the result Bri grabbed her pack and turned to leave when suddenly her gaze caught sight of a small form hidden behind a large wooden desk.  A young boy sat curled in the corner against the wall, knees drawn up to his chest, his head buried in the folds of his arms.  The boy was shaking and small whimpers escaped from where his mouth was pressed against the creases of his shirt.  Bri cautiously approached him not knowing if the child was injured or just scared.  At the sound of her footsteps the boy looked up with wide eyes and his mouth dropped open upon realizing that a pirate had found him.  

Bri stopped quickly and waved her hands in front of her.  "Shh, it's okay.  I'm not gonna hurt you, lad," she began in a low voice.  _Wait a minute… that's not a very pirate like thing to say…  There was always the possibility of another crew member lurking about, one that was in hearing distance and she couldn't take too great of a chance at giving them a reason to be suspicious of her.  Bri cleared her throat, "I won't hurt you… as long as you tell me where this place's valuables are kept.  Savvy?" she added, imitating Jack as best she could hoping to sound intimidating.  It worked and the boy's eyes widened at her words and he pointed a shaking finger across the room.  Bri followed its direction to a large painting of a horse hanging on the far wall.  _

"Behind the canvas?" she asked.

The lad shook his head yes and hugged his knees tighter against himself.  

She backed up to the painting keeping her front facing the boy and lifted its edge.  Behind it was a small panel and she slid it open to reveal a decorative box with a metal lock holding the lid hatch closed.  _That was easy.  The box was heavy as she took it out from the cubbyhole indicating that there was indeed something inside but since there wasn't a key to open it with there was always a chance that whatever it held was worthless.  Children weren't the best at deciding value of items anyway, especially boys…_

 "Since you helped me boy, I'll let ya' live but you have to stay where you are and don't move until us pirates are gone.  Got it?"  The boy nodded.  

A horn sounded off in the distance signaling the crew to return to the Pearl and Brianna shifted at its blare, turning her head towards its origin.  This caused her newfound jacket to swing open and the boy's eyes set on the black pistol held within her belt.  He let out a stifled yelp of fear and all of the pirate's promises of leaving him unharmed flew from his mind.  It was escape now or be killed…

The wood floor creaked behind Brianna and she turned back puzzled to the boy only to see something sailing at her head.  She didn't have time to duck as a hard object connected with her temple sending her to her knees in a daze with stars dancing before her eyes.  Bri barely made out the boy as he ran screaming from the room, his weapon of choice clattering on the floorboards beside her.  

"He hit me with a bloody candleholder," she mumbled groggily.  "Bloody hell that hurt!"  It was a lucky thing that the boy had been so young and weak or else her head would've cracked open like an egg all over the place.  Bri picked up the fallen item and studied it in the faint moonlight.  "A _gold candleholder… oh well…"  In it went with the rest of the loot and she stood swaying slightly before taking off back to the boats as fast as she could, not wanting to be left behind._

A form moved out from the shadows where it had been watching the young pirate and Bootstrap shook his head and sighed.  The lad seemed to have the most uncanny of luck.  First being taken under Captain Jack's wing as the new cabin boy instead of being tossed out to sea or becoming a play thing for the others, second finding _a lot_ of loot on the first try and a strange locked box which could be holding only god knows what.  Thirdly only getting a wack on the noggin that would give him one hell of a goose egg come the morning rather than a shot through the chest had the other boy been armed or perhaps a man instead of a child who could have killed him with one good strong blow while Brian's back had been turned.  Bill shrugged and decided that the lad was in need of a talk later on since luck eventually and _always ran out…_

The siege on the small island had been worth the stop in Jack's agenda.  Every one of his crew returned unharmed and almost bursting with glee at the _fun they just had and, another for the plus side, was the large pile of stolen goods growing steadily at Jack's feet.  The plantation had turned out to be wealthier than Jack had first thought as he eyed over some of the golden statues and coins.  He made a mental note to write down its coordinates for future visits once the owners rebuilt their miniature empire.  _

"We've got a lot of pieces of eight 'ere, Jack," Barbosa commented, biting down on one of the pesos testing its durability.  "Should cover all the new sails and trim ye' be wantin' for th' Pearl."

"Aye, and a hefty number left over to buy all you lads all the drinks and trinkets and pleasurable company you be wanting, eh?!" Jack shouted over the din of his crew, failing his arms about.  His words were met with cheers and hoots of "bloody right!" and "on to Tortuga!" as the men slapped each other on the back congratulating themselves on a night's work well done.

"Hey hey!" shouted Ragetti, "Let's see wa' our newest member done got tonight!"  He grabbed Brian by the shirt and dragged him out into sight of all the others, the boy holding tightly onto his own bag.  

Jack grinned down at him and leaned against a railing.  "I see you had success in bringing something back from your first pillaging experience, let's see now if it's worth anything," he smirked, refraining from using the boy's name since it still left an odd taste on his tongue.  Brianna hastily opened the tablecloth and dumped the contents onto the deck making sure not to break anything in the process.  Jack's eyes scanned the items before he knelt and rooted around through the pile.

"Cloth, rings, forks and spoons…" He tossed a few of the objects into the other, much larger pile as he dug deeper.  "A golden candlestick."

"That be a special candlestick, Captain Jack," Bootstrap interjected.  "Our young lad here was knocked silly on the head wi' it by a lad even tinier than he is but still managed to grab it and bring it along!"  There were howls of laughter from the men as Ragetti grabbed Bri in a headlock and inspected her temple.  

"Aye it's true!  He's got a lump the size of a chicken egg startin'!"  Ragetti ruffled Bri's hair playfully as she struggled out of his grasp.  She rubbed her neck casting Bill a befuddled look.  He simply gazed back at her, humor dancing in his eyes.

Bri coughed from the hold and suddenly remembered the perfumes.  "Oh yeah, I also have these," she managed to wheeze.  She brought out the bottles from her pockets and held them before Jack.  "Wasn't sure if you could fetch a price for them or not."

Jack grabbed one and uncorked it sniffing the pungent liquid inside and promptly sneezed.  "Bloody hell that's strong stuff!"  He passed the bottle to Barbosa who also inhaled the scent, only more cautiously than his captain.  "Aye, we use stuff like that there for bartering and such when in port.  Gold and silver aren't the only valuables in this world, lad.  Clothes, tobacco, spirits, and spices can sometimes be worth more than doubloons."

"The lasses especially like that stuff!" called out one of the mates.  

"Always looking for more of that fancy shit to get their greedy 'ands on!" 

"Makes 'em 'appy and then they repay ya' in the best way how!" laughed another.  The crew snickered and nodded.

Barbosa capped the bottle and shoved it into his jacket.  "Even if we can't sell it we can use it ta' make the brig smell like flowers, eh?  Maybe keep th' prisoners from bitchin' so much," he joked sarcastically. 

The crew was on a roll right now, snorting and chuckling with hilarity.  Brianna found herself smiling along with the retorts.

"Or we could smell it till the morning and get one hell of a lift; some of that stuff packs a punch even better than ale!"

More nods and 'ayes' from the group.

Brianna laughed.  "Or we could use it to cover Pintel's stench!"  The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.  For a heart pounding second she felt as if the world had collapsed under her.  _What have I DONE?!? she panicked fearfully.  _

Her thoughts were immediately eased though as Bootstrap howled with laugher.  "He's got ya' there, mate!" he roared at Pintel, clutching at his sides.  Ragetti whacked his friend on the back his own laughter joining in with Bill's and everyone else's.  Barbosa exaggeratedly rolled his eyes while Jack toyed with his beard, grinning like an idiot.  Pintel frowned before plucking a part of his shirt between two fingers and sniffing at it.  He made a face and bobbed his head in agreement and thumped Bri in the shoulder good-humoredly with a fat fist.  She almost fell over by the force, being so tiny and all, but quickly composed herself.  It was amazing how much closer she felt to the rag tag band of pirates at the moment.  All the seriousness and formality had melted away; it was like being among a big family.

_A family with a strict set of rules, but a family nonetheless._

For once in her life Brianna felt as if she belonged.  Never before had she fit in with others, her schooling associates having nothing doing with her since she had always acted so different from them.  All the playing rough, dressing for comfort rather than style, daydreaming and fantasizing about adventure and danger had made her stick out like a sore thumb back at home.  This was a nice change…

Jack's attention was brought back to the treasures when he spotted the small locked box Brianna had found.  He picked it up, shifting it from one hand to another, inspecting the latch.

Bri noticed and shrugged apologetically.  "Sorry Captain, I didn't find a key for that.  Don't know what's in it."

"I have my own keys, lad."  He took the knife from his belt and stuck it in the back edge between the box hinges.  An audible crack sounded as the hinges snapped away from the wood as the knife pried open the two parts.  

"Well now, what have we got here?"  Jack lifted up a necklace for the crew to see.  It shone in the moonlight, made up of golden discs each with a blood red ruby stuck in its center.  In the middle of the necklace sat a diamond as large as Brianna's thumbnail with small blue sapphires imbedded along its edge in the gold.  It had to be the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen in her life.

"Beginner's luck," mumbled Bo'sun.  

"Yes… luck that seems to work for us as well."  Jack's eyes ran over the necklace hungrily before he tossed it to Pintel.  The man yelped as he managed to catch it just in time and cuddled it close to his chest as if the small fortune would slip from his fingers if not protected. 

"You," Jack pointed at Pintel and then Bri and Ragetti, "take the booty down to the hold.  We have an engagement to make still and time stops for no man."  

"On to Tortuga!" bellowed Bo'sun, getting the nod from Jack to make way.  

The pirates dashed away to their posts leaving the trio alone with the Captain.

"Give me that coat," Jack ordered Brian.

Bri complied immediately and handed it to Jack.  He ran his hands over the fabric testing the quality and fingered the plain wooden buttons on its front.  Finding the clothing of insignificant value he tossed it back to Brianna.  "Keep it if you want."

He strolled off back to the helm to get the Black Pearl back on course and she tugged on the jacket and joined Pintel and Ragetti in storing their newfound riches.

Once everything was safely stowed away Brianna bid her two shipmates goodnight.  One last chore had to be done before she could ready for bed and a get well needed sleep and she walked down to the armory getting out her blade to make that small victory chip in the pillar.  It felt satisfying as the metal cut into the wood making a neat little mark beside the others.  She sighed happily and turned to go only to find Bill standing in the doorway.

"I want to talk to ya' about something, lad," he said. 

_Uh oh.  _She couldn't tell by the tone of his voice if it was something good or bad.

"Back there at that house you made the mistake of turning yourself around away from the boy.  You're lucky you ain't dead right now."

She opened her mouth about to comment that the child too young and small to have hurt her let along kill her but snapped it shut.  Whatever Bill was getting at she would listen patiently, after all the man had been a freebooter* for a LONG time and probably knew very well concerning the profession.

"Once you go down the path of piracy there's no turning back," he told her.  "People now see you as a pirate and will always see you as a pirate and will turn on you without a moment's thought; either to save their own hide or profit from the law who would gladly pay to put a noose around your neck.  I like you lad, you've got the soul of a scallywag in ya' and it would be a shame to lose you so soon."

She tilted her head to the side, studying Bill in the torchlight.  "Thanks."

He grinned and waved a hand in the air.  "Don't be takin' that as an openin' to begin lollygaggin' on your duties though.  Get outta line and I'll discipline ye' myself and not too kindly either, eh?"  His face took on a wistful look as he looked at her.  "Just ye' remind me of my son.  A good lad he is…"  His words died off and they stood in silence for a moment before Bill shrugged and jerked a finger in the air.  "That's some fine luck you have their, mate!  Let's hope it continues and you'll be sailin' them calm waters like there's no tomorrow."  Bootstrap clapped her fondly on the shoulder.  "And next up, Tortuga!"

"Aye, Tortuga…"

A/N:  I know, I know, not much Jack in this chapter but don't worry.  He'll have a bigger role in the next few (yay!).  So what lies ahead for our young pirate in training?  Well I can't tell you or else I would ruin it but I can assure you there's lots of fun and more pirating and danger and just plain craziness (and of course more of yummy Jack Sparrow).  Also I'm not sure exactly how fast a full grown man learns to read and write but let's just say that Jack is a fast learner (very fast if I'm WAY off).    

*freebooter is another term for a pirate


	6. Naming a Pirate

Disclaimer:  PotC belongs to Disney… lucky bastards…

A/N:  Here's another chapter before we all go back to school!  I mainly wrote this chapter for a bit of fun but there was also a really important part in it that had to be done.  Also you guys are in for a bit of a wait for Bri's secret to be found out.  I'll try and keep it interesting though till then!  Oh yeah, if you want to see a picture I drew check out the link on my profile page.  Something I came up with at two in the morning; you know how it is :P

::Ziggy::  Yep, Bri will be going through all that _wonderful_ feminine stuff.

::Jukia Wolfcall::  Happy belated birthday!  Was it a gold candle holder you got? (lol)

::Sundance-gurl::  She is about five years older than Will.

::Wen Quendalie::  Brianna turns out to have a _very_ lucky streak to her when it comes to sticky situations :) 

                                                 Pirates of the Caribbean:  Cursed Souls

"Six bottles of rum on the wall!  Six bottles of rum!  Take one down, have a round, five bottles of rum on the wall!" chorused the group of pirates, each taking a hefty swig from their mugs at the end of the verse.  

Night had fallen and the crew of the Black Pearl had cracked open the remaining rum barrels from the hold and were celebrating their last night at sea before docking in Tortuga tomorrow evening.  Jack had ordered that the dinner be brought up on deck so his crew could eat out under the stars while sharing in a round of songs and tales, sort of a tradition they had created whenever they sailed to the renowned town in which there was so much life and entertainment.  All good meats and breads and cheeses were being consumed since more would be bought before their next voyage and of course fresh ales of all kinds would be restocked therefore making no sense in keeping the old in case of spoilage; which of course would be a dreadful pity in Jack's eyes.  

Some of the men had already drifted off to bed, having to rise early for the morning shift and the night watch was now at their stations but still listening in on the fun while munching away at their own meals.  Jack had turned over the wheel and joined the lads around the lantern set up near the bow of the ship.  Barbosa was on his left side tearing away at the leg of a chicken and Bootstrap Bill was on his right singing at the top of his lungs and toasting his cup with the others, rum sloshing over the rim and onto the deck.  Jack's own special stash sat beside the crate he was perched on, out of reach from the hands of everyone else.

"Two bottles of rum!" continued the lads.  There were ten of them altogether sitting in a ring around the soft circle of light cast by the lantern flame.  All seemed to be in high spirits even Bo'sun (which was slightly less than amazing) who sat across from Jack flanked by Pintel and Ragetti who at the moment were bantering back and forth like a couple of children.  Jack didn't even want to fathom what they were arguing about this time but the scene did put a curve of a smile on his face.  

Barbosa poked Jack in the arm and held out a roll.  "You be wantin' more bread?"

"Aye, thanks mate."  He bit into the soft bun and followed it with a swig of rum.  The song had ended and the men were now talking about what they had planned for tomorrow once let loose in the town to go their own way.  

"I'm gonna visit the Red Dog.  Gertrude's been waitin' for me since last time," said Jarcoff, mentioning one of the whores from the well established brothel.  "Didn't have enough of me before I guess!"

"I've got a lady up on the cliffs," Dog Ear remarked.  "Biggest breasts I've ever come across and wild as a monkey."  He stuck his hands out in front of his chest giving the others a good idea of the size.  

Ragetti scoffed, his wooden eye rolling wayward in its socket, "Seen bigger than that.  Twice that size in fact!"

"You lie!"

"Twice the size you say?  How does she manage to stay upright?" asked an astonished Ketchum.

Jack listened to the babble, picking at his teeth with one finger before wiping his hand on a pant leg.  "Size is all fine and dandy mates, but what really counts is that she knows what to do wi' her assets.  Worst thing is a girl lying under ya' like a cold fish, no sounds, no movement, no nothing.  Almost puts you outta the mood it does."  

A round of ayes and nods showed that the lads agreed with his words.  

"Them whores at the Red Dog know some mind bogglin' tricks to keep a man happy," Scarus told.  "Once I had this girl that almost bent over completely backward while I was ridin' her.  I'm surprised I didn't break her back but she was howlin' with delight and all so I said to hell wi' it and kept on goin'!"

"Well there was one girl in Singapore who could put 'er feet around the back of 'er head, she did.  Looked like one of them knots in the mainline," interjected Pintel.  "I didn't know whether to unravel her or get her even more wound up."

The crew's laughter drifted up into the night sky, reaching to where Brianna sat as the watch out in the crows nest.  She could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation below but enough to make her shake her head and roll her eyes.  _Do all men only talk about sex? she wondered staring at the twinkling stars above.  It had taken her a bit to get used to the crude language and gestures of the crew and to refrain from blushing every time one of them mentioned something they did to a woman's … private parts._

Brianna hummed softly to herself, her eyes lingering on the open waters of the ocean now black from the disappearing light of the sun.  Another birthday had come and gone without any notice from her new family who had not been informed of the date.  It was the first birthday that she had that had not been followed with a large party to celebrate, none of her relatives or few friends or even a cake with the white creamy frosting she had loved so much.  Those things though did not fit her new pirate lifestyle and Brianna moved them aside to make way for all of the coming surprises that she was sure were in store for her.  Thirteen didn't feel any different than twelve other than being one year older and now a part of the marrying age group.  She made a face knowing that had she not left Port Charles she could have very well been the new Mrs. Farthworth at the moment, having to succumb to whatever commands her husband might have come up for her.    

She sighed and continued practicing trying to correctly tie a reef knot with two old pieces of rope.  Brianna had immersed herself in sailing determined to learn all she could for hope that she would become of some value to the Pearl.  Also she had begun to watch the crew themselves for clues on how men behaved.  It would take every trick in the book to keep them believing that she was a lad for no telling what would happen to her if they found out the truth.  Brianna frowned and held up her arm which had somehow become tangled in the main loop of the knot.  

"That can't be right," she muttered.  "Maybe if I twist it this way… ow ow ow!"  The ropes tighten around her flesh and she quickly pulled them apart saving herself from anymore pain.  "Stupid bloody pieces of shit."  

_Apparently the pirates' bad language has rubbed off on me as well, _she thought with a grimace.

Jack glanced up upon hearing cursing coming from above and spotted his pint-sized cabin boy sitting comfortably up at the top of the main mast.

"The lad doesn't look like he's having much fun up there," commented Barbosa, leaning in close to Jack.

"Aye, he doesn't.  Well, we'll just 'ave to fix that then."  Jack cupped his hands around his mouth.  "Hey cabin boy!"

Brianna jumped and looked out over the deck to see Jack and the others in the circle looking up at her.  "Aye Captain?" she called out.

"Come on down and join us!  There's naught to be lookin' for tonight anyway!"

"Twas a red sky tonight!" exclaimed Bill with a raise of his mug.

"A pirate's delight!" joined in the rest, referring to the old maid's tale about good weather the day after red evenings.  

She nodded and placed the rope pieces in her jacket pockets and shimmied down the sail lines to the deck below.  Bootstrap patted a spot next to him and she squatted down on the planks cross-legged style.  Immediately a goblet of rum was passed her way and she stared down at the murky liquid a tad uneasy for she had never drank the stuff before.  Bri glanced back up to see the pirates watching her and waiting.

"Umm…cheers?"

"CHEERS!" they all cried and slammed their cups together before throwing them back and chugging down their drinks.  She toasted with Bill and followed suit, swallowing down the rum as quick as she could, ignoring the burning in her nostrils and throat.  The alcohol went straight to her head and she reeled backwards slightly and coughed.  

"Aye lad that's the stuff!" Bill laughed, slapping her on the back.  Her cup was refilled before she could protest against it.

The conversation went back to whores and positions and all the stuff that the men found interesting and Bri found herself suddenly chuckling along with the stories.

_Must be the rum…_

"I've been to a masked midnight party," Barbosa started, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.  "You lads know what that is perchance?"

"Nev'r 'eard of it," Dog Ear said, shaking his head.

"You have to pay to get in and it is by invitation only.  So you go and you have to bring along a mask or else you won't be allowed admittance.  Inside is an enormous room lit up by a thousand red candles, casting light over pillows and blankets laid around the floor all heaped like.  Maybe thirty or so others are already there as naked as the day they were born save for their masks covering their faces."  He paused allowing dramatic effect.  "The whole point is to 'ave relations with as many people as possible in that room, but you never get to find out just who it is you're doing these things with."  He shook his head and grinned showing off his decaying teeth.  "You could be havin' your way with the Queen of England and not even know it."

_Thank god for the mask, your ugly mug is the last thing I would be wanting to see in a position like that, _Brianna cringed, taking another mouthful of rum.

"Eh imagine that!  The Queen down on all fours pantin' like a bitch in heat!"  Ragetti remarked with a hoot.  "Oh yes, oh yes!  I love it when ye' play wi' my bosom like that, oh and while you're at it would ye' get me a cup o' tea, governor?" he mimicked in a high voice which sent the others rolling about in hysterics.

Bill whooped with laugher.  "I would pay a whole bag of gold to see that!"

"You could blackmail her for the whole treasury of England probably!"

Jack scratched his chin.  "I'll have to keep an eye out for this midnight party you're talking about, Barbosa.  I'd wager that I'd have a fancy time at such a gathering."

"Here here!" called Bill and raised his glass in the air again.  The pirates drank to the toast, still snickering over the image of the Queen with her knickers trussed up about her head.  Brianna blinked lazily as her eyes kept going in and out of focus.  

"What about you Brian?  Any tales you want to share with the rest of us?" Bill asked, poking Brianna in the shoulder with one finger.

She looked around the circle at the crew who again had their attention focused on her.  _Uh oh!  Think quickly!  Her mind raced frantically, despite the effects of the rum flowing through it, and remembered something she had overheard back at home from one of the boys in town.  _

"Oh yeah, I've had my fair share of conquests being such a _pretty boy and all that I am," she lied, sarcastically emphasizing the word pretty since the others found joy in calling her that all the time.  "Women couldn't resist me.  Why the first time that I can remember was when I was around ten years of age and I had this maid who every night came and tucked me in."  Brianna worried briefly if ten was too young to begin that sort of thing, perhaps the person she had overheard it from had been exaggerating his story but the crew just nodded and she continued.  "One night her tucking in turned a little too friendly and the woman stripped me naked before I could utter a sound and showed me just how useful a mouth could be," Bri quoted her words slurring slightly from the rum.  _

"Wish I 'ad a maid to do that for me," sighed Ragetti.  "What 'appened to her?"

"Oh… well she later discovered my father… and then my mother discovered them and the maid was fired."  __

_Sorry Papa, _she apologized silently to the sky knowing that her father would be rolling over in his grave if he knew what she had just said.

"That's it!"  

Jack's sudden outburst startled Brianna as the captain jumped to his feet and stared down at her with a frown on his attractive face.  He swept one hand in an arc through the air ending with him pointing one ringed finger in her direction.  The others watched him with slight puzzlement.

"It's been bothering me ever since ye' came aboard me ship, lad," he continued.  Bri froze in her spot terrified that he had figured her secret out.

"What's been botherin' you Cap'n?" Pintel asked, looking back and forth between Jack and the cabin boy.

"The name," he said flinging his arms about in his seemingly perpetual drunken stupor.  "Sorry lad but I HATE your name," he told her.

She let out a long grateful sigh.

"So… we'll just have to give you a new one."

"A new name?" she questioned.

"Fit for a pirate.  Brian just doesn't cut it at all."  He tapped his fingers against his sword hilt staring off into the night sky.  "Now just what should it be?..."

"How about Shark bait?" offered Dog Ear from the sidelines.

Jack shook his head making the trinkets woven into his hair jingle.  "No, he stopped being that after the first few days, mate."

Ragetti scratched his matted hair.  "How 'bout Pretty Boy?"

All eyes turned to regard Brianna and she squirmed under their gaze.

"He's pretty but not that pretty," Pintel said, spitting into a pot at his side.

_Hey! _

"What about Mr. Clean?" Jarcoff tried.  "Cause he makes them floors all nice and shiny like."

Bill shook his head.  "He's too tiny.  That name fits someone like Bo'Sun better."

"I'll continue to be called Bo'Sun thank you," cut in the immense pirate in a rumbling voice.

"No problem, mate," Bill smiled humorously at him.  

Brianna watched Jack as he pondered over a new name for her knowing somehow that it would be him who would have the final say to this little challenge.  After all Jack ALWAYS had the last say in everything… but then again he was always right, so it made sense why.

True to her predictions Jack snapped his fingers and a wide grin spread across his face.  "Got it!"

"Decided the name for the lad then?" Barbosa asked.

"Notch."

"Notch?" Brianna tilted her head to the side repeating the name.

"Aye."

The others mulled over it and Bill nodded as he caught on.  "For the little nicks he puts in that post, right?"

"Precisely," Jack answered, looking mightily pleased with himself.

"I like it!" called out Ragetti.  Everyone nodded even Barbosa and Bo'Sun (surprisingly).  

"Notch it be then."  Jack withdrew his sword and rapped it against the planks.  "Since ye' come from a more well-to-do lifestyle you're probably use to high class fancy things, eh?"

"I guess so," she mumbled.

"Well then come forth and kneel to receive your new name," Jack said, imitating a knighting session.

She moved in front of him and Jack touched the flat edge of the sword against her right shoulder.  

"I dub thee Notch!" he pronounced with a flourish.  He slid the sword back in his belt.  "I say that calls for another drink!"

"Course it does!" agreed Bill cheerfully, banging his mug against the deck.  Another round of rum was given out and Bri was pulled back into the circle for more singing and tales.

_Notch... Well I certainly didn't expect that, _she thought with a smile.  But then again life with pirates was going to be anything but predictable…

*                                                                      *                                                                 *

Sunset had fallen when the Black Pearl finally entered the bay in which Tortuga was built along.  The town was already a bustle with evening fun as people cast aside the sweat from a hard day's work to bask in relaxation of the cool night.

"Ahh Tortuga," Jack sighed as he stepped onto the dock from the longboat.  He breathed the air in deeply and ended up making a face as the stench reached his nostrils; the docks of Tortuga weren't the cleanest of places after all.  "Should've done that in town," he mumbled before turning back towards some of his crew who had begun unloading the loot.  "Alright mates!  Take them objects marked with a cross up to ol' Fibbergib for the trade.  Then you can be on your way."  

Fibbergib ran a marketing shop on the small knoll near the shore.  He was a crotchety ol' bugger but he _was_ reliable and did give them a good price for the plunder that couldn't be spent away in taverns.  Fibbergib in return sold those items to the merchant ships passing by every few days back on their way to Europe who would then sell them back to the English of who Jack had stolen from in the first place.  _What a great setup, he though with a smirk.  He ambled away from the docks waiting for the men to finish, part of his own cut of the plunder clinking in a pouch attached to his belt.  Tonight would be another great night spent away at the taverns with other scallywags and enough rum and cards to keep him well entertained while the heavily bosomed ladies in their tight corsets provided him with pleasant viewing.  _

_Now just which strumpet should I grace with my presence tonight, _he wondered.  There were plentiful consorts to warm his bed in Tortuga it was just that he had to decide what kind of a mood he was in.  _Do I feel like blond hair, brunette, skinny, thick, loud?...  He mulled over the choices as he strode into the main courtyard of town.  Footsteps sounded off to his right and he turned to see a very voluptuous woman approaching him swiftly, her pale face setting off the ruby colour of her lips and wild curls that reminded Jack of a sunset at sea.  _

_Ahh red hair…_      

"Ingrid," he said flashing her a glittering smile.  She stopped a foot away from him her usually lovely face screwed up into a scowl and swung her hand around in an arc slapping him square on the cheek snapping his head to one side.

"You filthy, heartless, lying, bastard!"

_Oh yes, it wouldn't be a trip to __Tortuga__ without this now would it?  Jack cursed under his breath and rubbed his stinging face with one hand.  "Don't think I deserved that one, love," he told her, trying to sound wounded by her actions._

"You should be glad I don't string ye' up by yer toes and let the gulls feast on your innards!" she screeched making him wince at the shrillness of her voice.

"Now why is that?  You were in a good enough mood when I left you."

Ingrid stomped her foot and hissed at him.  "THAT was BEFORE you left you bloody pirate!"

"So… somethin' happened I take it after I took my leave."

"YES!  You," she shrieked jabbing him in the chest, "were supposed to take me to me friend's festivity but instead I showed up all alone with no man and I was embarrassed to no end since I had told EVERYONE that I was bringing the famous Jack Sparrow along with me!"

"Captain… that's CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow," he corrected her.

"And everyone was SO looking forward to meeting the great and feared and mighty CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow that it looked like I had lied about th' whole thing!!" she yelled, waving her arms about in the air.

"Thanks for the praise, love," he said graciously.

"Don't ye' love me!"  Ingrid balled her hands into fists at her side glaring daggers at him.  "That's not the whole of it either!  And—"

_Uh oh, there's an and…_

"When ye' left like some thief in the night ye' left the door wide open and Fluffy got out and was run over by a carriage!"

He blinked.  "Fluffy?"

"Me precious little dog!"  She sniffed and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.  "He was so brave… wouldn't 'urt a fly."

Jack racked his brain and vaguely recalled seeing a little white rat running around her house.  "Don't be mad at me for that, I wasn't the one drivin' the carriage," he stated. 

"To kill a creature such as my innocent Fluffy.  You're a heathen!"

"Now let's not go name calling, love," he tried but Ingrid was on a roll.

"Thieving, no good, mindless, drunken…"

This was starting to give him a headache and Jack had a mind to turn and leave her be but the fact that there was no way in hell he could have a little fun with _this_ chit tonight just made him want her even more.  Now the question was just how should he amend things?

Between Ingrid's ramblings Jack caught sight of Notch coming up to him from the docks.  He reached out as the lad got in arm's length and pulled Notch in between himself and Ingrid.  She stopped talking and stared down confused at the boy.

"Love, I would like ye' to meet my new cabin boy.  His name be Notch," Jack introduced.

The woman took one look over Bri's small frame, blond hair, and big blue eyes and suddenly let out a cheerful squeal before reaching up with her hands and pinching Brianna's cheeks in her fingers.

"HE'S SO CUTE!" she cried.

Brianna tried her best not to flinch and kept her mouth shut since the Captain's hand tightened on her arm signaling her to stay quiet.

"Wherever did you get him?" Ingrid asked suddenly forgetting that she had just been ranting at him.

"Rescued him from drowning I did," Jack lied, knowing just how to play her along.  "The poor lad had been shipwrecked, his entire family taken down to Davy Jones' Locker.  So I plucked him from the cold hearted sea and made him a part of the crew since he needed a new family to care for him."

Ingrid placed her hands over her chest, her eyes sparkling with tears.  "That's so beautiful.  Oh Jack you do 'ave a heart after all.  And here I was callin' ye' a savage."

"Don't fret love.  People make mistakes," he forgave her gallantly.

Brianna rolled her eyes.  

The gap between them closed as Ingrid moved towards Jack and Brianna held her breath as her head was level with the woman's gaping bosom. 

"I must admit Jack that I did miss ye'," she whispered, running a hand shyly over his coat sleeve to rest on his shoulder.  

Jack grinned.  "Did ye' now?"

"Of course, Captain.  How about I make it up to ye' later tonight?"  Her eyes glittered and she licked her lips suggestively.

"I'd be willing to accept your invitation.  Same place as before?" 

"Yes.  I'll be waiting." She gave him a wink and took her leave.  He watched her go with a satisfied smile at how he had handled the situation so well.  _Women are so easy to figure out._

He turned to see Notch staring up at him with one eyebrow raised and Jack shrugged.  "What can I say, lad.  The woman's daft."

"Aye, I figured that."

"Well," Jack said clapping his hands together, "I think it's past time we got ourselves a drink, don't you?"

A/N:  I had lots of fun writing that last part :).  Also I'm not too sure when the tea trade started between China and Europe so if my history is a bit off during a few parts of the story I'm sorry; I was never too good at that subject.


	7. The Sweet Proliferous Bouquet of Tortuga

Disclaimer:  Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney HOWEVER I own Jack Sparrow….**_evil and insane laughter follows_**…just kidding (sigh)

Author's Thanks!:  This one goes out to my two roomies, Diane and Colleen, who have stuck by me with this story's plotline, which they had to sit and listen to for over two hours straight.  They have also helped greatly with the editing process because I happen to not be the greatest at speeling… lol :P  

**POOF!!** Hey guys, I'm back!  So sorry for the almost half year wait for the next chapter. Cursed Souls went through a MAJOR revamping and I am much more impressed with the way it'll be heading in the future, plus a lot of holes in the plotline were fixed and such (yay).  Also I managed to change the chapters to get my much needed angst in the story and the smut to happen sooner lol.  Oh by the way I will probably have to change this story over to adultfanfiction.net as soon as the interesting parts appear, I'll let you know when I do.  Also I want to recommend two fabulous PotC stories that I found on the adultfanfiction.net website.  The first is called "The Haunting Place" and I couldn't tear my eyes away from it (seriously, I didn't sleep for three days) and the other one is called "Jack's Cure" which is pure smut, plain and simple, but so deliciously written it'll have you going for cold showers with each chapter.  Anyway there's my two cents, bye!

Pirates of the Caribbean:  Cursed Souls

_["Well," Jack said clapping his hands together, "I think it's past time we got ourselves a drink, don't you?"]_

Like the obedient pirate she was, Brianna followed Jack as he merrily strolled off down the street, arms swinging at his side and chin held up high.  

There hadn't been many things that Brianna had done, before her great journey out onto the sea as a pirate, and going to a bar was one of them.  From the stories that her father had brought home with him after those long nights out, they sounded as a rather decent place where one could wet their tongue and laze about with friends.  However she suspected that wherever Jack was taking her would be far from those little setups back in Port Charles, where the more elite class went to enjoy their free time.

Jack led her through numerous alleyways, every so often flinging his jeweled hands this was and that, pointing out the many places he had graced with his presence.  "And that's where darling Scarlett resides with her lovely ladies of the evening.  If ye ever be gettin' lonely an' need some fashionable company for a night and a few coins, I recommend headin' there," the captain looked back at her flashing a golden grin, "Course, there's also that other place down on the east side of town…what was its name again," one sooty finger tapped his chin, "Ah yes, Red Dog.  Not my preference really.  The gels there are a bit easier goin' on the purse but ye pay in looks.  Oh and that there's the smithy…"  

Brianna listened keenly as Jack prattled on about the town, almost as if it was a large mansion of his and he was showing her the rooms…which to her, looked as if they needed a good cleaning.  A few bodies littered the streets, either passed out already from the influence of the bottle or just taking a rest before heading off for more nightly fun.  Ladies in vivid reds and purples lounged seductively against railings and building corners, hoping to attract a customer who was heavy handed with the coins.  Upon spotting the well known pirate captain, a few of the lasses excitedly whispered amongst themselves, giving him lusty once-over's, their eyes coming to rest on the front of his pants.  One such brunette eyed Bri and gave her a suggestive wink to which Brianna hastily replied with a small wave before darting up to Jack's side out of the line of sight.  The man was still going on and on, probably not even caring if his cabin boy's attention was focused elsewhere.  

_Sure does love to hear himself talk…_       

"Ah, here we be!"  Brianna looked up as Jack stopped in the middle of one of the streets.  A heavy wooden door lay before them with a sign at its side reading the Faithful Bride.  A large statue of a woman holding a bouquet topped it off supposedly representing said bride, complete with massive mounds of carved wooden bosoms and pout lips.  Jack swung the door open with flourish and stepped inside, Brianna following closely behind him.  

The tavern was lit by fat wax candles, giving the air a very smoky yellow essence, and the patrons that laughed and drank away among the scattered tables were all just as dirty and foul mouthed as her fellow crew mates.  The perfect company in Jack's opinion most likely.  She noticed Pintel and Ragetti off in one of the corners, their table already laden with finished pints of ale.  The older man motioned Jack over as he caught sight of him and shouted at the barkeep for another round.  

"Here Cap'n, saved ye a seat incase ye dropped in!" he laughed heartily, kicking out a vacant chair opposite his.  Jack plopped down in it with a welcoming sigh and smiled happily as their drink order arrived.  

"Oh oh, 'ere Notch, come sit by me!" giggled Ragetti, his eyes--err--eye, wildly glancing around the room, face plastered with a perpetual grin.  He scooted over on the bench to allow her some of the seat and she accepted one of the mugs that was passed to her from the serving wench.  The drink tasted like piss…well, not that she had ever drank piss but was pretty sure that if she had it would resemble what was in her cup… but swallowed it down, knowing that she would have to learn to like the stuff sooner or later seeing as the pirates enjoyed it every chance they got.  

It wasn't more than a few minutes before their table had become the "it" place to be for the tavern ladies, who giggled and flirted shamelessly with Jack as he paid each of them with lewd comments and generous smacks on the bottoms.  Pintel and Ragetti enjoyed the attention along with Jack while Bri tried to make it as if she was as well… all the while trying to avoid bumping or touching the gaping flesh that the women's dresses tried in vain to hold.  A cuff on her shoulder made her glance up to see Bootstrap had joined them.  He gave her a dashing smile, 

"How's it going gents?  Havin' a good ol' time?"

"Sit your ass down mate and join us!" Jack sang out happily from behind a girl who had taken up residence on his lap and was pressing herself wantonly against him.  

"I see the Captain is having fun, how 'bout you blokes?" Bill sat in a backwards chair and crossed his arms over its back.  

"As always, mate," Pintel pouted as he peered down in his empty mug.

Brianna rapped the table bringing their attention to her, "I'll get the next round," she waved over at the serving girl, "Another set of pints over here, love!  And hurry that lovely ass of yours!"  The girl quickly complied much to Brianna's delight, giggling at the mark directed at her backside.  _I should've gone into acting, _Brianna thought smugly.  

The men clapped her on the back in appreciation and Jack grinned at her from across the table, "So kind of ye' lad to be spending what little amount ye got from our last plunder and all," he moved the woman around on his lap, arranging the ruffles of her dress, which were currently swamping him.  The wench purred as the Captain's lap hit a sensitive spot between her legs and she rotated her pelvis against his, earning herself an amused growl from Jack.  Brianna hid her face in her mug, hoping that the flush in her cheeks would be mistaken for the effects of the rum.  Hearing talk about sexual encounters was easily handled by this point…seeing them, however, was another matter.

"Well, what else would I be spending it on, Cap'n, besides the arms at my sides and the ale in my hand?" she garbled through the alcohol.  Her pistol didn't cost much when it came to powder, irons, and a good flint and the sword that now hung from her scabbard only needed a good grinding stone for sharpening, and they were plenty aboard the Pearl.

Jack bounced the girl in his laps with his legs, "Why one of these lovely creatures o' course."

"Women, spirits, arms, and the sea," murmured Bill, raising his mug in a toast, "The possessions of a pirate."

"Here, here!" cheered Ragetti, he and Pintel joining Bootstrap's mug in the air. 

Pintel belched and pointed at Bri.  "That's wha' you been needin' lad…shhh girl and all," he slurred, pulling a nearby wench closer to him.  "They gots all this fine stuff ya' can hold, feelsh good," to enforce the comment he made a grab at the woman's large chest, which earned him a playful slap and giggle.

The girl in Jack's lap leaned forward, her bosom practically spilling out of her dress over the table.  "I know who'd be good for you, sir, Belle over there," she pointed a dainty finger, "likes 'em young."

_Uh oh…_

"Think you earned that title, lad," Bootstrap commented, looking around the tavern, "you have to be the smallest chap here tonight."  His eyes suddenly caught sight of a blonde a few tables over.  "Jasmine love, get over here and let me greet you properly!" he called out in his baritone voice.  

Jasmine, one of the younger serving girls, turned at his call and her faced spread into a gigantic smile as she saw who was addressing her.  "Bootstrap!" she squealed before flouncing over to their table and pressing her lips to his in a greedy kiss.  They remained that way for a good two minutes before coming up for air.  "I didn't realize ye' were back in town, ye scoundrel!"  Her hair swung about her pale face in a halo of gold, "I've missed ye' something terrible," one finger dipped along Bill's cheek and toyed with the short hair of his goatee.  

"Ah, my divine Jasmine, I couldn't part from you for any lengthy period of time," he spouted the words with such tenderness, one of his hands making circles on her bare arm.  

Without pausing in his work Jack rolled his eyes.  

"Oh I can't stay too long tho', Bill, the ale don't give out itself.  But don't forget to come visit me after hours, eh?" her hand traveled lower to give him a generous squeeze through his trousers, "Same place as always."

"Wouldn't miss it, my flaxen beaut'."

"And since I ain't seen you in a while, I might just have Anna with me to join us," the teasing in her voice pretty much informed them that Anna was a sure bet and Bootstrap's night would only get more interesting as it went on.   Sweet merciful heaven it was amazing to Brianna that any of these gents actually made it out of the tavern intact, what with all the two legged lust walking about.  The pair cooed for a bit longer before Jasmine walked back to the bar for more orders and Bill turned to Brianna, giving her a satisfied grin.  

"I think my schedule just got set for this evenin' wouldn't you say?" 

"Oh, aye," she agreed, hoping her voice sounded enthusiastic, "Give those two girls," she cuffed the air with one fist, "a good go, eh?" 

Bill chuckled and nodded, swearing that he'd do his absolute best on the two, which just in turn ended up causing the whole table to start roaring with laughter and she couldn't help but feel it was mostly towards her.  _Glad to be of service for your amusement, mates.  _She gave a small cheer with her mug just to show good humor before attaching her lips to it in hopes of washing away her embarrassment in a flood of rum.  Abruptly Bri was interrupted by two very warm and soft globes pressing into her shoulders.  Eyebrows knotted, she turned to find herself face to flesh with a set of bosoms.  

_Two in one day, I should start keeping tabs_…

"Belle!  That there's the youngin' I want'd ya' to know about," squealed the girl from her position on Jack.  

"Ooo a fresh one at that, Mary; ye sure know how I likes 'em," the set of breasts belonged to a thin pretty brunette with a long face and dark doe eyes, "Might I join ye' gents in a drink?"  With her full lips in a pout, it would've had to be a cold day in hell for the men to turn down her request.  Brianna scooted over as Belle sat down between her and Ragetti, whose dirty hand immediately began inching towards the girl's thigh.  Bri wasn't too thrilled about the latest company, seeing as the girl latched onto her arm and was pressing herself up against it, batting those long black lashes of hers.  It was a good thing that the others had their attention directed elsewhere or they might have seen their cabin boy flinch as Belle's mouth contacted with his neck.  The girl mewed softly against her skin causing miniature vibrations to travel up her throat, which would've made a man's parts stand at attention, but because she was no man, Brianna started feeling very ill.

"So what's your name, me wee sir?" Belle mumbled as her lips traveled up to Bri's jaw line.  

She tried to keep her voice from squeaking as the wench's teeth nipped at her earlobe, "Notch."

"Master Notch, eh?" hands still moving along Bri's arm and around her shoulder, "You be a pirate then on Jack's belov'd Pearl?"

"That's Captain Jack, love!" the referenced man called out from across the table before refocusing his attentions on Mary.  

Belle's one hand moved to the front of her corset and began loosening the threads, revealing even more cleavage.  "Ye like the view?" she murmured noticing that Notch's eyes had suddenly focused to her chest, "I may be a youngin' like ye but I gots what counts."

Brianna coughed, looking up from the gaping flesh, "Those are very nice…use them much?"  A vain attempt at conversation but then again, never had this situation occurred so she was not that knowledgeable regarding what one would talk about when the topic involved breasts.  However it was probably not the smartest thing to say, she soon realized, as Mary resumed tracing patterns on Bri's shirt, this time the movements heading southwards.  

"All the time," Belle purred.

Alarms sounded in Brianna's head as that talented nimble hand worked its way ever closer to her lap, searching for a certain bulge that would definitely, _definitely_ not be there.

Brianna's own hand shot out and gripped Belle's tightly, stilling her actions before they discovered her little (well it probably wouldn't be little, but big, if she were truly a gent…no sense in selling herself short) secret.  "Ahh, just a wee minute there, love," she kept her voice down, trying to avoid attracting the attention of any fellow crew members.

Belle frowned, puckering her lips confused, "What's the matter?"  Never before had her administrations been rejected and she felt wounded at the young patron's words as well as a slight bristling to her pride.  She was damn good at what she did even though it wasn't the most respectable job for a woman, but it did put food on her plate and a roof over her head, "Don' you like what I'm doin'?"

Seeing the worry in the girl's face Brianna quickly grasped her hands between her own, mainly to keep them from wandering some more but also in attempts to soothe the distressed lass, "Oh no no no, that's not it at all, love.  It's just," she nodded downwards and lowered her voice, "I picked up a pretty downright nasty rash recently," a good lie…_gross_ but good, "and I didn't think you'd be wanting me to pass it to you, since all and all, it'd be a damnable shame to put you out of commission for the next few weeks or so, eh?"

Immediately Belle scooted back a bit, "Oh…well no, I guess not." 

The chit however still looked disappointed so Bri continued, "So sorry, love, I wasn't minding the fling, just that this rash hurts something terrible.  But," she took out two coins and placed them in the crevice between the corseted breasts, mindful to not actually touch them with her fingers, "this is for your troubles."

Belle's frown immediately disappeared upon feeling the metal of the coins and another big grin split her face; more gold was a _very_ good thing.

Noticing a certain comrade sitting alone behind the wench Brianna's mind clicked with another idea, "If you would be so kind as to keep the rest of my friends entertained this evening, it'd please me much.  In particular that one fellow behind ye," she leaned in closer to the girl, "His name be Ragetti and he is much more the pirate than I am, I'm still like a newborn babe involving that occupation seeing as how I just joined the crew a few weeks ago.  He though has been killin' and plunderin' for years."

"Really?" Belle's interest was tweaked and she stole a glace at the pirate, "Ooo, he looks real dangerous, he gots only one eye," she whispered.  Knowing full well that her talents wouldn't be bringing her any more coin from the boy, Belle decided to test the waters elsewhere.  She gave a friendly rub on Notch's shoulder, "I hope ye get better soon and when ye do be sure to let me know."  She gave one last suggestive wink before turning to her new pursuit leaving Bri alone and glad of it.  

This time had been easy but the next might prove more difficult and if she planned on hiding her female identity from others she should come up with a plan… and perhaps even a contingency plan at that.  Brianna swirled her rum around and took a sip and suddenly noticed Bill watching her, with a quirked brow, over the brim of her mug.  It was clear that he was wondering just why she had cast away a beauty like Belle.  She swallowed and cleared her throat, "Rash."

"Ahh," Bill mused, nodding his head in understanding, "Ouch."

"Aye."

A few silent moments passed between them.

"There's a doctor up on the hill that could help you with that, lad," Bill offered.

Brianna nodded slowly, her lie causing her more awkward embarrassment than she had wanted, "Good to know."

Bootstrap turned back to his drink while she tried to drown herself in hers.  

It wasn't long before Brianna had to admit she was quite drunk and not just the slurring hiccupping drunk, but the completely head over heels, doesn't know up from down, falling over drunk.  She knew it was probably a good time to stop since her eyes seemed to keep crossing on their own accord and Bootstrap had to keep repeating things to her three times before she finally understood what he was saying.  Fatigue had set in a few drinks prior and now even the dirty floor looked as pleasing as a down-filled mattress and it was tempting her to curl up amid the benches and puddles of rum and sleep the rest of the night away.  That, however, wouldn't look or feel too great come the morning so Brianna kept her focus on her comrade, who also at the moment was just as bit as drunk as she.  

"You… you are a great pirate," she stabbed a finger in Bill's direction, her hand wobbling in the air.  

Bill breathed in deeply and nodded his head, "Aye, that I am."

"And the Captain… he'ez a great Captain, right, Captain?" she turned and looked back in Jack's direction for a confirmation but saw that Jack had disappeared.  "Where did he (hiccup) go?"

"Lad, the Captain has been gone for over an hour and you just noticed?" Bill snorted with laughter, which oddly Brianna had found to be rather pleasing over the past while.  She propped one elbow on the table and rested her chin against her palm and tried her best to look annoyed,

"Course I knew!  Wha', you think I'm too drunk to not notice somethin' like… like that?"  Her other hand waved about in the air in no distinct pattern and Bill had to lean back to avoid getting smacked by it.

"Drunk? I'm amazed you haven't succumbed to alcohol poisionin' yet!"  

She blinked a few times in thought, "Yes, I have to admit that I have possibly _had _a fair share of the rum tonight but then again I am lucky," she slurred placing one hand on her chest, "as you have so commented before, and thus wouldn't have subjected me to such a fate."

"So you're sayin' that your bein' lucky is a protection against the drink's effects?"

"Yes."

"And yet you're drunk," he stated.

She paused with her hand still raised,  "…yes," she slowly replied after a moment.

"But you just said that your being lucky made the effects of the rum not work on you as it would on a normal fellow therefore you couldn't possibly become drunk and yet you obviously are, even more so than me might I add."

There was a long silence between the two, Brianna staring at Bootstrap and Bootstrap staring right back at her, both with baffled expressions on their faces. 

"You're confusing me," she finally admitted.

"As you are me… how'd we start this conversation anyway?" he scratched at his goatee in thought, "Rum certainly effects the memory I must say, and so in that case, before I forget…" he reached down into his breast pocket and flipped a small object onto the table in front of her, "this is for you, lad.  Call it a gift if ya want but it is more so a little trinket to help you on your way to becomin' a full pirate, or at least get you looking more like one.  I swear you still look as if you lived in a mansion full of people to kiss your arse!" he commented loudly.  "Us pirates are a more distinguished group from the rest of the wankers in this world and so they must look the part, from the tips of their hat feathers down to the very buckles on their boots, which if you hadn't figured out yet, is the source of my name."

"Aye, I did figure," she told him and picked up the golden hoop and examined it more closely, "so that's why you're giving me an earring?"  

"Yep.  I got my first one as soon as I joined the Pearl's crew, my first beginnings as a pirate and I didn't stop with just the one," he pointed at the other hoop in his ear, "Got another here o' course as well as others that aren't accustomed to daylight."

Bri felt her eyes drop, wondering just where else he was referring to and could feel a slight blush begin to creep up her neck as the possibilities arose in her mind.  

Bootstrap, however, didn't take notice in her discomfort and called out to a passing wench to bring him a hot pin, some rags, and a cork.  "Seein' as you've consumed a lot of rum tonight, this shouldn't hurt and bit."  He stood up, thanked the woman who handed him the items he had requested and took position beside Bri.  "Now, you have two ears in which this can take up residence however there's a little sayin' that states the left ear is right, while the right ear is wrong when in reference to this procedure."

"Wrong for what?"

"Well, the left ear supposedly represents a fellow's attractions towards the very delightful and opposite sex, while the right ear stands for his attractions to the same sex, which in my opinion can also be a very interesting experience.  I was just wonderin' though if you were the sort of bloke to take offense to the latter, seein' as many of them rich folks more often than not, do," Bootstrap informed her as he began to heat the end of the pin in the flame of a nearby candle.  

"Oh…," she thought over his statement, adding the new colorful insight of his sexual experiences to the already long list that had accumulated in her head, "I think then, in my case, that I would prefer to have it in my left ear, not that I'm against others that choose the right ear mind you," she added quickly.

"Left ear it is," he grinned cheerfully, "Tilt you head then and don't worry a bit, I happen to be very skilled at this task," he reassured, placing the piece of cork behind Brianna's lobe.  She didn't make a sound or flinch back as the pin seared through her flesh and it was over before she knew it.  Bootstrap threaded the earring through the newly made hole and stood back to view his handiwork.  "See, told you I was good." 

"Yeah you did," she nudged the alien feeling ring and pulled back her hand to see the tips of her fingers stained with blood.  "I'm guessing this lets up?" she asked hopefully, to which Bill nodded.  "Well that's always a good thing to know," she felt a yawn coming on and decided that it was about time to call it a night seeing as how she was about to pass out from all the rum and there was a trickle of blood running down her neck.  Bill wasn't fazed by her decision when she told him, while stifling another yawn, and he informed her that he also should be off seeing as how he still had a certain agenda to keep.  He bid her adieu with that exuberant salute of his and left the tavern in search of the lovely Jasmine.  

Brianna somehow managed to get a small dingy room for the night for an ungodly price from the man that ran the tavern and with unsteady legs, climbed the short staircase and making her way to a room at the far end of the hall, promptly locking the door as soon as it shut behind her.  She flopped down on the single bed with a grateful sigh, her legs splayed out behind her in a non-ladylike fashion.  The past few hours had taken their toll and it wasn't long before she was drifting off into a pleasant, and much needed, slumber.

* * *

_She was swabbing the deck, just another day on the __Pearl__.  The sky was bright and there wasn't a cloud in sight.  The water sparkled as playful dolphins leaped out of the ocean's coolness, trailing along behind them in the wake of the ship.  The crew was in high spirits, everyone smiling with happiness.  Brianna twirled around with her mop making cute spirals of liquid over the deck and Ragetti was off to one side with Pintel, skipping about as they went around doing their daily chores.  She could see Barbosa at the Pearl's helm, whistling a tune while sipping on a fruity alcoholic beverage decorated with a tiny umbrella and Jack emerged from his quarters, shirtless, rum in hand, and grinning like a bloody idiot._

_"Ahh what a day!" he called out cheerfully.  The crew giggled with glee, some of them coming to stand on deck before Jack.  The pirate Captain clapped his hands together, "I think this calls for a song, eh?!"_

_Brianna watched as the men got into a line formation and suddenly she could hear music start up… from where she didn't know._

_Jack took his place at the front of the group and started clapping in rhythm and struck a manly pose, _

_"Where can you find pleasure, _

_search the world for treasure, _

_learn__ science technologyyyyy?"_

_He pivoted about,_

_"Where can you begiiin to _

_make your dreams all come true, _

_on__ the land or on the seeeeaaa," he sang out in his falsetto voice, while the crew all danced around behind him. _

_ "Where can you learn to fly, _

_play in sports or skin dive, _

_study__ oceanographyyyy?"_

_Ragetti and Pintel did cartwheels while Bo'sun helped Barbossa into a flip, _

_"Sign up for the big band,_

_Or sit in the grand stand,_

_When your team and others meeeet!"_

_The crew can-canned along with Jack's singing._

_Crew:  "IN THE NAVY!"_

_Jack:  "You can sail the seven seaas!"_

_Crew:  "IN THE NAVY"_

_Jack:  "Yes, you can put your mind at ease!"_

_Crew:  "IN THE NAVY!"_

_Jack:  "Come on now people, make a stand!"_

_Crew:  "IN THE NAVY!"_

_Jack:  "Can't you see we need a hand?!"_

_Crew:  "IN THE NAVY… IN THE NAVY!"_

"Ahhhhh!"  Bri cried, jerking out of her sleep, staring wide eyed up at the ceiling.  Her room at the tavern was still dark with the fading night and the only sounds that could be heard were the roosters beginning to crow outside in the town of Tortuga.  What the hell had that been?Her head throbbed as she slowly sat up on the mattress, her temples screaming against the movement trying to make her lie back down.  _So this is what vast amounts of rum do to people in the morning, _she thought with a grimace.

It took ten agony filled minutes of getting out of bed and arranging her boy's attire to make sure it still looked convincing, before she headed down the rickety stairs of the inn and groggily out into the town's square.  The first streaks of sunlight were creeping over the morning sky as she ambled over to the currently unoccupied well and splashed some water against her skin.  The cool liquid felt good as it dripped down her neck, eliminating any last remains of sleep and she rinsed out her mouth and spat the water onto the ground.  Her ear still ached from last night's little piercing adventure but at least the hangover was beginning to dissipate and she gave a little prayer of thanks; there was nothing worse than having to work while your brain tried to strangle itself inside your head.  Judging by the rise of the sun on the horizon, Brianna guessed it was around six.  The crew of the Pearl would likely be up and beginning their duties and since it wasn't a smart idea to keep them waiting, she quickly jogged down to the docks.  

Jack was already there, standing like a bloody king on top of a crate, yelling out orders to the men, who scurried about to do his bidding.  The new sails and wooden planks for the repairs on the Peal had already been bought and were currently being loaded onto the longboats to be taken onboard.  Bri was soon hurried along with the sails to the ship and put to work on the thick black canvas under the supervision of Hawksmoor, the Pearl's carpenter.  Brianna found that she was fairly skilled in the job, her stitching was tiny and tight, the many sewing lessons her mother had stuck her in surfacing in her work.  Every few seams, she chewed along the finished stitches as she had been shown to do, softening the thread, making it more durable in order to stand its own against the ocean's strong winds.  Hawksmoor checked in every so often and nodded his approval of her work before going back to nailing planks.  

With her deft, nimble fingers, Brianna made short work of the sails and finished before high noon.  Her jaw ached and her hands were smeared with smudges of blood after many pricks from the needle she had used; however a few minutes under the salty sea water cleaned the cuts up and dulled the pain to a mild numb so she could return to assisting the crew.  

She was about to help Pintel with loading cannonballs into the boats when Jack suddenly appeared at her side.  "'Ere Notch, I've got a new job for you; if you'll be so kind as to follow me," he bid come hither with his fingers, the invitation more of an order than a request.  Brianna glanced at Pintel and raised a brow but the older man just shrugged and took the cannonball from her grasp, nodding his head in Jack's direction, motioning that she'd better move it.  Jack was already halfway back up to the town, not even bothering to see if she was behind him or not.

"Aye Cap'n?" Bri asked as she finally caught up to his long strides. 

"Does the name, Cortez, ring any bells with you?" Jack cocked his head to the side, sliding a look over to her.

"Aye, he was that Spaniard leader those years back," she blinked at him, stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets, "Killed all those people, made himself rich off of their blood."

 "That's the guy.  Fascinatin' stories behind him, all full of slaughter, lust, and treasure.  Man was a pirate at heart, methinks," they turned a corner and headed out of the town along an old dirt road, "Ever since I began hearing those tales back when I was a young lad I've been searching out ol' Cortez's great fortune for myself.  Got me hands on a lot of it too, I did."

"Do you still have it?"

Jack looked down at her with a quirk of his brow.  "I'm a pirate lad, treasure doesn't last long in our pockets.  Just long enough to make it to port and then it gets spent on all the amusin' things in life, eh?" he pointed out, a smile curving on his face.  "Where would the fun be if ye kept all them gold coins somewhere and never spent them?"

"True," she agreed, remembering the fun last night.

"But I do have some of Cortez's more personal pieces stashed away and that, young Notch, is where you come in."

"I do?"  

Jack noticed the puzzled look that crossed over the lad's face and he took out something from his coat pocket and flashed it before Notch's eyes.  

"This 'ere is one of fifteen gold coins from a collection that Cortez prized.  Got them when he conquered Mexico and took these off the emperor himself before setting the man on fire in front of his family," he rolled the piece between long fingers, the sunlight catching the edging, "I came upon these a year ago and took them as a part of me cut from the loot.  Anyway, to keep things short, got here to Tortuga a few months back and was carryin' a few of them with me in me jacket and a bloody pickpocket managed to get a hold of 'em."  He paused in thought staring off into the distance, "Would've caught the bastard as soon as he'd done it, but all those bottles of rum I'd had earlier on--you know how it is--so instead I managed to chase him down here but he tossed me coins off into the bushes just before I grabbed hold of him.  Sooo," he drawled, coming to a stop beside some shrubbery, "to answer those questions of yours that are floatin' about in yer head, I need you to fetch them."  Jack pushed a few brambles aside to reveal a rock face with a large crevice where it met the ground.  

Brianna swung her gaze from his face to the black hole in the stone.  "Down there?" 

"Yep."

She strained her neck, looking down and down into the blackness.  "I don't see any coins."

"Ahh, that's because we got 'ere a few minutes early, you see," Jack propped himself up against the rock wall and looked up into the sky, "Just wait."

They stood there in silence as the minutes passed, Bri shifting from one foot to the other and Jack tapping out the tune of a jig against one leg, until the light had crept over the ground and eventually down into the hole's darkness as the sun angled over them in the sky.  Jack ginned and nodded his head in the direction of the crevice, "See, tons of light for you, now off to!" he shooed.  Brianna clicked her tongue as she peered again into the cleft, which couldn't have been more then three feet wide and substantially got narrower and narrower the further it descended.  Down below she spied the coin purse caught on a small ledge.  She sighed and got down on her knees, turning about so she could shimmy down feet first.  There was no point in trying to get out of this job, Jack was her Captain after all and disobeying his orders wouldn't be very good behavior of her.

The stone was sharp against her already sore hands as she slid into the crevice, as well as cold and damp, making her trek slippery.  Jack watched, sitting back on his heels and fiddled with the rings on his fingers.  Truth was he hadn't had time to get another person Notch's size to retrieve the coins after the thief had thrown them down there since the English brigade had been breathing down his back and in the end it came down to a matter of priorities; a quick exit or the English noose.  Jack, of course, chose the speedy escape aboard the Pearl and left his coins where they were with the plan to retrieve them another and less stressful day.  So it was rather a good convenience that the lad had shown up on his ship, for he prized those pieces of Cortez's treasure and had been itching to have them back in his hands.  Once he had the coins returned in to their rightful owner, him of course, he could finally continue with his search of the remaining treasure that had belonged to Cortez.  The last thing on the list was a chest of eight hundred and eighty two gold pieces.  Rumor was that it had been offered to the Spaniard by the Aztec's in hopes that he would call off his armies and end the slaughter of their people.  The plan didn't work, Cortez's lust for gold and blood could not be sated and so the Aztec's pleaded for their gods to place a curse upon the chest so that whoever took even a single piece from it would be forever damned.  

Now a story such as this one might deter the average person from seeking out the cursed chest, but he was _Captain _Jack Sparrow after all.  It would take more then heathen curses, lore, and myths to stop him from acquiring the pile of gold that was ripe for his plundering.  All that stood in his way now were those damnable papers of his!  He was positive at least one of them would mention the location of the island where the treasure was hidden; the locals having named it Isla de Muerta; the Island of Death.

Muffled profanity brought Jack's attention back to his young cabin boy, who was currently stuffed quite snuggly down the crevice.  

"How goes it, Notch?" he asked.  Another curse answered him as he saw the boy's grasp slip on the wet rock.

"Just fine, Captain!" Brianna replied cheerfully through clenched teeth, her palms aching something fierce.  With one hand gripped on an outcrop, she leaned to the side, the fingers of her other hand just within reach of the bloody coin purse.  Her foot though lost its holding and she slid downwards only to stop as the space around her closed in, jamming her in the crevice.  The only good news was that she had managed to grab a hold of the purse during the fall and now clung onto it tightly while trying to find a suitable outcrop or anything that could help her climb upwards.  The possibilities were limited and Brianna felt a wave of panic begin to form; she had never liked closed in spaces to begin with.  "Uhh Captain!" she called out, perhaps Jack would be able to assist her in this predicament.  

"Yes, Notch?" Jack had been watching her from above with some mild amusement and he tsk-ed at the position she was in, "You seem to have made yourself quite comfortable down there!" he sang out with a flash of golden teeth.  

Comfortable?!  Stuffed into a crack with cold water soaking your clothes and rock biting into every conceivable place was NOT her idea of being comfortable!  Brianna growled to herself and tried again to grab onto something but to no avail.  "Would you perhaps help me out here," she finally asked.

"Do ye have the coins?"

"Aye."

"Toss them up 'ere then," Jack reached out a hand into the darkness and Brianna hefted up the sack with a grunt before once again resuming her cling on the stone with both hands.  Jack easily caught the coins and much to Brianna's shock, moved away from the crevice!

"Ummm Captain?!" 

"Yes?" Jack replied from his sitting position on a nearby rock, currently inspecting his beloved coins, making sure they were all there and accounted for.  They were, and he happily added the ones from his pocket to the purse and placed everything into his jacket for safekeeping.  Seeing though that his cabin boy had not yet joined him up on the surface he frowned and swaggered back over to the hole and peered down into it, "What's takin' ye so long?"  

She stared up at him with a perplexed look; shouldn't that answer be obvious?  "I'm stuck in here, that's what's takin' so long!"  The man seemed daft at times and it was quite apparent at this moment since he continued to squat there while absentmindedly twirling one of his thumb rings.  "Could you perhaps help me out?  Maybe get a piece of rope or a vine or something?!"

Jack frowned and stated matter-a-factly, "Ye're not stuck."

"Yes I am!" she argued, trying to keep her voice low and boy-like but it was hard with her mounting hysteria.

"No, ye're not," he repeated, this time with more assurance, "Ye got down there by yerself and thus are able to just as easily get yerself back up here.  As a pirate you've got to realize that ye can't depend on others all the time."

"You've made this into a lesson?!" she gaped up at him.

"You could call it that, yes."  There was no denying the pleased look that was etched upon his face and Brianna realized that it would be left up to her and her alone to find a way to get out of the crevice.  It didn't help however, to have the pirate's code repeating itself over and over in her head at the moment.  

Luck seemed to come her way as Brianna finally found a grasp above her and she exhaled as much as possible to allow her body some space between the walls of rock.  Her muscles were beginning to go stiff and it was a challenge to hull herself up inch by inch.  As her body became free she felt like cheering, Jack once again proven to her that she had been wrong and he had been right… but then again, what else was new?  Slowly and steadily Bri climbed up, savouring the warm sunlight as it grew stronger with each foot.  One more good surge forward would get her back out into the open air but suddenly she felt her foot begin slip, the rest of her body beginning to descend back down into the ground, and Bri braced for the searing pain that would follow.  However a warm strong hand found hers, preventing her from that fate,

"Much as I'd like to sit 'ere all day while ye 'ave ye're fun in this crevice, I'm afraid that we must be off to the Pearl, the wind is blowin' and the ocean is callin' for us to go," Jack grinned down at her.  In one smooth motion he had her out into the daylight and free of that horrid confining place and it was so relieving that she felt the sudden urge to kiss the dirt of the pathway they stood upon.  

Jack dusted off his pant legs, "Don't bother wi' the thanks, boy, didn't do nothin' worth mentionin'," he grunted behind her. 

"Oh, uhh, sorry Cap'n … thank you for your help just now" Brianna mumbled.

"What are ye apologizin' for?" he waved his arms about in the air, casting her a confused look, edging on frustration, and ended up holding a pair of fingers in front of her nose, "Lesson number two, grow a backbone, eh?" Jack spun on his heel and headed back in the direction of Tortuga, a lighthearted sea chant spouting off his lips.  Brianna heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes skyward.  His haphazard behavior would take some getting used to, that was for sure.

She followed after him, glad that in a few hours they would be back out at sea where the horizon stretched on forever and the sunlight was an endless warmth.  Brianna could already see the Pearl's crew prepping the ship for departure as they neared the docks, her new black sails were ready to go and would be a glorious sight once in full sail in the Caribbean wind.  

Jack had stopped next to the longboat that would bring the remaining crew back to his beloved ship as soon as the last couple pieces of cargo had been loaded, Brianna at his side in case of any last minute orders and waited.  Ragetti passed by them with an armload of sacs and gave a customary nod to Jack along with the "Cap'n" salute before turning his attentions on Brianna, "That Belle from last night was one 'ell of a round!" he laughed loudly with a vulgar motion of his hips to emphasize his point, "Just wanna thank ye for passing 'er me way, oh and hope ye get over that rash!" he called out behind him as he walked away.  

Suddenly that hole in the ground didn't seem so bad…

Bri turned to see Jack staring at her.  He blinked and puckered his lips in thought, "Ye know there's a place up on the hill that could help ye out with that…" 

Bri rolled her eyes, it would be a LONG time before they got over this one!

***THERE!  Done finally!  This chapter was a major pain in the BUTT, I kept deleting and adding and having to go over it again and again before I finally got it the way I wanted, even though I'm still not one hundred percent satisfied.  Oh well, what can ye do? :D 


End file.
